250 px | Waste burning in the 1st Marine Division Support Area in Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War in 1991. A burn pit refers to an area of a deployed military base devoted to open-air combustion of waste. The phrase "burn pit" gained notoriety in the 21st century, especially in U.S. military sites in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, this practice was used well before the War on Terror (2001 to present). Proper waste management practices have reduced the spread of infectious diseases that contributed significantly to mortality and morbidity in military populations in based conflicts. According to the US Army field manual, there are four other ways, outside of burn pits, to dispose of nonhazardous solid waste: incinerators, burial, landfills, and tactical burial. Using open-air burning significantly reduces waste, but increases risk of fire and produces noxious fumes. Due to modern waste in deployed environments, there is plastic (including water bottles), shipping materials, electronic waste, and other material that may emit toxic aerial compounds. Burn pits were heavily criticized and resulted in lawsuit by veterans, Department of Defense Civilians, and military contractors. Global environmental consciousness has especially criticized these instances of large-scale burn pit operation. The effects of burn pits seem to be similar to that of fire debris cleanup. Examples Service member disposing of uniforms. | 373x373px Joint Base Balad (JBB), the largest U.S. base in Iraq had a burn pit operation as late as the summer of 2008, burning 147 tons of waste per day when the Army Times published a major story about it and related health concerns. The burn pit at JBB was 10-acres and the waste produced by each person assigned to JBB is estimated to be between 3.6 and 4.5 kg of waste per day. An Air Force spokesman speaking for the 609th Combined Air and Space Operations Center Southwest Asia vigorously contested allegations of health effects and emphasized mitigation efforts."Burn pit at Balad raises health concerns: Troops say chemicals and medical waste burned at base are making them sick, but officials deny risk" article by Kelly Kennedy in Army Times Oct 29, 2008, accessed August 7, 2010 In Afghanistan, at its peak, more than 400 tons of waste was disposed using burn pits daily.
Service member disposing of uniforms. | 275x275px A burn pit refers to an area of a deployed military base devoted to open-air combustion of waste. The phrase "burn pit" gained notoriety in the 21st century, especially in U.S. military sites in Iraq and Afghanistan. However, this practice was used well before the War on Terror (2001 to present). Proper waste management practices have reduced the spread of infectious diseases that contributed significantly to mortality and morbidity in military populations in based conflicts. According to the US Army field manual, there are four other ways, outside of burn pits, to dispose of nonhazardous solid waste: incinerators, burial, landfills, and tactical burial. Using open-air burning significantly reduces waste, but increases risk of fire and produces noxious fumes. Due to modern waste in deployed environments, there is plastic (including water bottles), shipping materials, electronic waste, and other material that may emit toxic aerial compounds. Burn pits were heavily criticized and resulted in lawsuit by veterans, Department of Defense Civilians, and military contractors. Global environmental consciousness has especially criticized these instances of large-scale burn pit operation. The effects of burn pits seem to be similar to that of fire debris cleanup. Examples 254x254px | Waste burning in the 1st Marine Division Support Area in Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War in 1991. Joint Base Balad (JBB), the largest U.S. base in Iraq had a burn pit operation as late as the summer of 2008, burning 147 tons of waste per day when the Army Times published a major story about it and related health concerns. The burn pit at JBB was 10-acres and the waste produced by each person assigned to JBB is estimated to be between 3.6 and 4.5 kg of waste per day. An Air Force spokesman speaking for the 609th Combined Air and Space Operations Center Southwest Asia vigorously contested allegations of health effects and emphasized mitigation efforts."Burn pit at Balad raises health concerns: Troops say chemicals and medical waste burned at base are making them sick, but officials deny risk" article by Kelly Kennedy in Army Times Oct 29, 2008, accessed August 7, 2010 In Afghanistan, at its peak, more than 400 tons of waste was disposed using burn pits daily.
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Service member disposing of uniforms.
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Waste burning in the 1st Marine Division Support Area in Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War in 1991.
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Service member disposing of uniforms.
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Waste burning in the 1st Marine Division Support Area in Saudi Arabia during the Gulf War in 1991.