Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations

66,000 Montana veterans exposed to toxins could receive assistance from a new bill

The bipartisan congressional deal would increase health care services and disability benefits for generations of veterans exposed to toxins.
Zach Gibson
/
Getty Images
The bipartisan congressional deal would increase health care services and disability benefits for generations of veterans exposed to toxins.

Congressional bargainers are celebrating a deal they say could pave the way for the passage of legislation that would help millions of veterans exposed to toxins during their time in the military.

The military routinely disposed of tires, batteries, medical waste, and other materials in open burn pits. Veterans who inhaled pollutants from these pits and fell ill had to prove the burning was responsible. This was a difficult, if not impossible, burden of proof to meet.

The bipartisan congressional deal would increase health care services and disability benefits for generations of veterans exposed to toxins and won’t come cheaply. If passed, U.S. Senate Veterans’ Affairs Committee Chair Jon Tester estimates the deal’s 10-year price tag could run anywhere from $100 billion to $500 billion.

The Montana Democrat acknowledges the expense of the deal but adds that “Right now, our veterans are the only ones paying that cost, and they can’t wait any longer. We need to pay the cost of war.”

Approximately 66,000 people — two-thirds of Montana’s 99,646 veterans — were likely exposed to toxic substances during their service, according to data from the VA.

Under the proposal, 23 illnesses, including hypertension, would be presumed related to burn pit exposure when providing disability compensation.

Copyright 2022 Montana Public Radio. To see more, visit Montana Public Radio.

Edward O'Brien is Montana Public Radio's Associate News Director.