Alabama veterans board wants inquiry into chemical exposure

ANNISTON, Ala. (AP) — Alabama’s veterans affairs board is pushing for the creation of a program to aid veterans who have health problems that might stem from exposure to toxic chemicals at a former U.S. Army post. AL.com reported Monday that the State Board of Veterans Affairs passed a resolution urging the Alabama congressional delegation to support legislation calling for a study on the effects of service at Fort McClellan. The installation was established in 1917 near Anniston and housed the Army’s Chemical Corps after World War II. Personnel tested exposure to nerve agents and sulfur mustard there in 1953. It closed in 1999. The VA hasn’t acknowledged health issues associated with service there.