Bipartisan Congressional Group Introduces 'WIPE OUT Burn Pits Act' to Protect Servicemembers from Toxic Exposure
Representatives Gus Bilirakis (R-FL-12), Raul Ruiz (D-CA-35), and Claudia Tenney (R-NY-24), along with Senators Peter Welch (D-VT) and Mike Crapo (R-ID), have introduced the Waste Incineration Protection, Exposure Oversight, and Updated Tracking of (WIPE OUT) Burn Pits Act. This bipartisan, bicameral legislation aims to protect U.S. servicemembers from the harmful effects of toxic burn pits, particularly those operated by foreign entities near U.S. military installations. The bill builds upon the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act by requiring the Department of Defense (DoD) to identify, record, and test air quality at burn pit sites, including those not controlled by the U.S. military. It also mandates the documentation of potential exposure in servicemembers' health records and pushes for the replacement of burn pits with safer waste disposal alternatives.
