Public Health
The Burn Pit Registry: Reaching Milestones in 2017
The Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry is a large database of self-reported information on deployment-related exposures to airborne health hazards, medical histories, and demographic information. Eligible Veterans and service members can participate by completing a survey online and then following up with a free in-person medical evaluation. The burn pit registry reached four important milestones in 2017:
1. In February, the registry surpassed 100,000 participants. As of September 6, 2017, there were 116,643 Veterans and service members enrolled in the registry.
2. June marked the third anniversary of the registry’s inauguration in June 2014.
3. In January, the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine issued an important Congressionally-mandated report: Assessment of the Department of Veterans Affairs Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry. The report is available online for free download at https://www.nap.edu/catalog/23677/assessment-of-the-department-of-veterans-affairs-airborne-hazards-and-open-burn-pit-registry. VA is reviewing the report’s recommendations on making improvements to the registry.
4. In May, VA and the Department of Defense (DoD) held an invitation-only symposium to review the National Academies of Science report and to discuss collaborations in research, clinical care, policy, education, and outreach on airborne hazards exposures. Representatives from Veterans Services Organiations, including Veterans of Foreign Wars, The Sergeant Sullivan Circle, Burn Pits 360, and Disabled American Veterans, participated.
Below is a snapshot of self-reported information, including demographics and exposures, from participants in the registry.
Are you interested in participating in the burn pit registry? Learn more about the registry, eligibility, and how to sign up: www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/burnpits/registry.asp. If you have already completed the registry questionnaire online, schedule your free medical evaluation by contacting an environmental health coordinator.
How to Schedule a Free Medical Evaluation
1. Complete and submit the Airborne Hazards and Open Burn Pit Registry online questionnaire.
2. Contact the Environmental Health Coordinator at your VA medical center https://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/coordinators.asp
3. Request a medical evaluation.
4. Print a copy of your completed questionnaire and take it to your provider.
Registry Eligibility for Veterans with Service between 1990-1998
VA uses individual deployment history information provided by the Department of Defense to determine eligibility to participate in the registry. Deployment history from 1990-1998 is frequently incomplete. As a result, VA must manually review eligibility for some applicants. VA is working to streamline and accelerate the eligibility review process. .
