Civilian Contractor Wins Federal Comp After Iraq Burn Pit Exposure

Thursday, January 30, 2020 | 0

A civilian contractor who said she developed respiratory and other health problems after she was exposed to burn pit smoke in Iraq has finally won federal workers' compensation benefits, but only after she added mental stress to her claim.

Veronica Landry, of Colorado Springs, Colorado, was initially denied benefits despite contentions that she has spent more than 10 years in and out of hospitals after exposure to the burn pits in Iraq war zones, according to a TV news report. After she was sent back to Mosul Air Force Base in Iraq, Landry said she developed post-traumatic stress disorder and further lung problems.

She was awarded $74 a week to cover medical expenses.

Landry’s attorney, Gary Pitts, of Houston, said the latest ruling is significant because of growing concern about the toxins reportedly released by the burn pits in Iraq and Afghanistan. Thousands of veterans and contractors have claimed illness from the burning of waste.

“It’s not how much she’s getting, but the fact that she’s being compensated,” Pitts said to Fox News. “A case like this, let’s build public awareness, and that adds more pressure for more research and I believe that will lead to strong new findings when it comes to burn pit exposure.”

Landry worked at the base for contractor Kellog, Brown and Root, which has said it followed regulations on the burn pits. The pits were used to dispose of a range of materials, including plastics and even human waste, according to news reports.