Why DoD is still using burn pits, even while now acknowledging their danger
By: Meghann Myers   14 hours ago
The Pentagon acknowledges the risks of burn pits, which the U.S. military has used to get rid of human, food, equipment and other waste while downrange, and is looking for alternatives while pledging to do a better job tracking how exposure affects service members.
But there are no plans to stop using them.
Though burn pits are considered something of a last resort, according to Defense Department policy, there are still nine of them in operation, per an April report to Congress from the under secretary of defense for acquisition and sustainment. And despite some research into alternatives, nothing is off the ground yet.
In the report, the Pentagon acknowledges that burning hazardous waste, tires and plastic in open pits creates dangerous fumes, but they it is still done during deployments if the local combatant commander ― currently, they’re only used in U.S. Central Command ― can’t find a good alternative.
https://www.militarytimes.com/news/your-military/2019/07/12/why-dod-is-still-using-burn-pits-even-while-now-acknowledging-their-danger/
