Two members of Connecticut’s congressional delegation—U.S. Sen. Richard Blumenthal and U.S. Rep. Elizabeth Esty (CT-5)—visited Naugatuck Valley Community College’s Veterans’ Oasis on Friday, May 8 to speak with veterans about the consequences of exposure to burn pits while serving in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Burn pits are areas on military bases where waste, such as tires, plastics, batteries, electronic equipment, human waste, batteries and other garbage, is incinerated and toxic fumes are released into the atmosphere.

“While much attention is rightly paid to the visible wounds of war, our veterans also suffer from numerous less-visible conditions that result from exposure to the environmental hazards found in war zones,” said Rep. Esty. “I’ve heard from veterans in central and northwest Connecticut who suffer from or who know fellow service members who suffer from respiratory and gastrointestinal issues that were likely caused by exposure to burn pits.”

“We know that the modern battlefield has perils even for the veteran who hasn’t been directly exposed to combat fire,” said Sen. Blumenthal. “It’s a dangerous place for every single man or woman in uniform.”

Blumenthal and Esty are supporting legislation which seeks to expand care to veterans exposed to burn pits.

“Burn pits are the Agent Orange of our generation,” said James Rizzio, president of NVCC’s Veterans’ Club. Rizzio spent six years in the U.S. Army and served in Iraq from 2009 to 2010. “I was around burn pits a lot and it can lead to very serious medical issues later in life. Getting this legislation passed is the right thing to do.”