U.S. soldiers sue over garbage 'burn pits'

WASHINGTON, April 29 (UPI) -- Garbage burning on U.S. military bases in Iraq and Afghanistan caused health problems for soldiers and others exposed to toxic fumes, lawsuits allege.

A series of six lawsuits filed Tuesday and three more to be filed Wednesday against defense contractor KBR and former parent company Halliburton allege they caused the deaths of men who were exposed to the fumes from "burn pits" on U.S. military bases, CNN reported.

Other military personnel and private contractors, the suits allege, were sickened by the garbage burning at Balad Air Force Base in Iraq and elsewhere. U.S. military officials have said their investigation found there were no serious health risks for people exposed to the burn pits for a year or less.

The open pit at Balad was used to burn food and medical waste and plastics with jet fuel used as an accelerant at times, CNN said. One plaintiff reportedly claims "thick black smoke and toxic fumes from a burn pit" caused him severe chest pain, diarrhea, asthma, sleep apnea and debilitating migraine headaches.

"The general assertion … that KBR knowingly harmed soldiers or contractors is unfounded," the contractor said in a statement to the broadcaster.