Apr 16, 2021
New York Senator Kirsten Gillibrand is among several U.S. Senators supporting legislation to expand coverage of veterans benefits to include side effects from exposure to burn pits.
Over the past 20 years, the pits were used widely throughout U.S. military facilities in Africa and the Middle East as a low-cost way to dispose of trash, human waste, and discarded equipment.
But using jet fuel to burn refuse produced toxic smoke, which the Department of Veterans Affairs estimates up to 3.5 million servicemembers were exposed to.
Celia Clarke spoke with NCPR reporter Ryan Finnerty, who previously served in the U.S. Army, about why burn pits were used and how troops were exposed.