Local vets worried about toxic burn pits praise Jon Stewart, ask Pat Toomey to 'soul-search'
PITTSBURGH (KDKA) - The failure of the U.S. Senate to pass a bill Thursday to protect veterans exposed to toxic burn pits upset local veterans who say they were counting on this measure.
Political editor Jon Delano talked to two local veterans who say they know firsthand the need for this bill.
In a procedural vote on Thursday, U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey and most Republican senators blocked consideration of a bipartisan bill to expand benefits to 3.5 million veterans exposed to toxic burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan.
"I think it has affected me. I think it has affected my lung capacity. Day-to-day stuff, I can get short of breath for no reason, and I think it contributed to it, the burn pits," says Sgt. Jason Wylie of Collier.
Wylie was exposed to the noxious fumes coming from burn pits while serving as a medic in Afghanistan.
"There's definitely hazardous material in that burn pit. Who knows what all went into it. Everything, all the trash went into it, so could have been anything in there," says Wylie.
That includes human waste from the latrines, says Sgt. Ben Keen, who served in Iraq.
"When I say we burned everything, I mean we burned everything – cardboard, wood, Styrofoam, latrine waste. It all went to the burn pit. You just got rid of it. Obviously, there were things that were burned that weren't the best to be burned," says Keen.
Keen says the soldiers were ordered to either burn all waste and leave nothing behind or carry the waste with them as they moved on.
It was hard to avoid the fumes.
"It doesn't matter if you were the person maintaining the burn pit and actually making sure that everything got burned out or if you were simply walking on camp. It's the fumes. It's the smoke," says Keen.
Both Keen and Wylie have put their names on the VA's burn pit registry. But Congress has not yet passed legislation to assist veterans disabled by these toxic fumes.
The vets point out that – like Agent Orange – it may take years for symptoms
"I believe that I lost lung capacity, definitely get short of breath doing basic tasks once in a while, and I know some of the other guys that have served had some burn pit issues – had some cancer, isn't a typical cancer, more of a rare form cancer," says Wylie.
"Even though I've been exposed, it hasn't impacted my health to the point that it's causing adverse reactions – yet," says Keen.
Keen says that like Agent Orange in Vietnam, he worries about the late-term effects of toxic burn pits.
"I have friends that unfortunately have been exposed way more than I have and have developed cancer already as a result, and these are 20-, 30-year old people," notes Keen.
Both Keen and Wylie say they are not much into politics but are glad comedian Jon Stewart has brought national attention to this issue.
"Jon Stewart has been a huge advocate of the burn pits, and he was part of that 9/11 deal. What a great human being he is to push for this for us," says Wylie.
"Top notch," says Keen. "I mean just amazing, and to see him continue that work with us is just as amazing," adds Keen.
Their message for Republicans like Toomey who are blocking a vote on this bill is straightforward.
"For Mr. Toomey, the one thing that I will remind him is that Pennsylvania, and especially here in Pittsburgh, has a fairly high concentration of veterans," says Keen.
"They really [need to] soul-search and realize veterans need this help. It's been around for a long time and veterans deserve the help," notes Wylie.
Toomey defends his action, saying there's a hidden slush fund in the bill, something Stewart calls BS. Toomey will get a second chance to vote, as Majority Leader Chuck Schumer says he will bring the bill back up early next week.
