Edgewood Arsenal Experiments
Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and Explosives (CBRNE) testing was conducted on voluntary human test subjects at Edgewood Arsenal (current day Aberdeen Proving Ground) between 1955 and 1975. Those who participated in these classified experiments may have been exposed to:
Hallucinogenic compounds (LSD);
Irritant and blister compounds;
Nerve agents (to include antidotes); and
Psychological experiments.
Oath of Secrecy
Those who participated in these experiments were sworn to secrecy and forbidden from discussing their involvement in these tests to include what they were exposed to.
Do know that in June 2006 Veterans were released from this oath and may now discuss their involvement in testing, in relation to their own health.
Effective Dates
Due to the oath of secrecy and a hard fought court case, the VA can grant earlier effective dates for grants involving being a part of the Edgewood experiments up to a maximum of the day after separation!
In order to qualify for an earlier effective date under Edgewood the following conditions must ALL be meet:
The Veteran was involved in Edgewood testing;
The Veteran was prevented from making a claim due to the oath of secrecy (this is assumed to be the case UNLESS there is evidence otherwise such as if the Veteran filed a claim BEFORE June 2006 and mentioned their involvement in Edgewood testing); and
A medical opinion links participation at Edgewood as “at least as likely as not” the cause of the claimed condition.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
The Date entitlement arose rule still applies.
Frequently Asked Questions
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Yes, impacted Veterans may filed a Supplemental claim and the VA will consider if an earlier effective date is warranted - even if it has been over a year from the decision.
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The VA has made the determination that these policies CANNOT be applied outside of Edgewood.
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Yes.
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In so far as each participant signed a voluntary consent form, which explained what they would be exposed to and potential risks.
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In most cases yes, however some records do not contain full names - making it difficult to attribute a specific exposure.
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At this time, no presumptive conditions have been established. However, the VA will consider applicable toxic exposures under TERA. Click HERE for details.