U.S. troops burned trash in open pits despite access to incinerators

摘要

U.S. troops in Afghanistan burned hazardous waste, including batteries and aerosol cans, in open pits near military bases, according to a new federal audit of U.S. operations in Afghanistan. Burning hazardous waste in the open is a violation of federal law, so the U.S. military spent more than $20 million building incinerators to burn trash produced by troops. Many of those incinerators were defective, so the military instead opted to burn the trash in open pits, according to the audit.