Local Congressman keeps up battle against burn pits

Rep. Raul Ruiz (D) 36th District is keeping up his fight to expose the danger of burn pits used on military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan.

Ruiz says two amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act for the next fiscal year have passed in Congress and will be part of the package that the house may vote on as soon as Thursday.

Ruiz believes burn pit exposure in Iraq played a role in the death of local veteran, Jennifer Kepner, who passed away last year at the age of 39 from pancreatic cancer.

We profiled her story last year in a News Channel 3 I-Team Investigation.

The amendments would direct the Department of Defense to do a feasibility study on eliminating the use of burn pits.

They also direct the Department of Defense to reach out to veterans who were exposed to burn pits and are qualified to enroll in the burn pits registry.