# 2024-31220: VA Finally Admits Desert Dust Might Cause Cancer After Decades

2024-31220, Presumptive Service Connection for Bladder, Ureter, and Related Genitourinary Cancers Due to Exposure to Fine Particulate Matter, is a Federal Register rule from an unnamed agency published 2025-01-02, effective 2025-01-02 (as of 2026-06-08).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2024-31220
- As of: 2026-06-08
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Document number: 2024-31220
- Title: Presumptive Service Connection for Bladder, Ureter, and Related Genitourinary Cancers Due to Exposure to Fine Particulate Matter
- Type: Rule
- Agencies: unknown
- Citation: unknown
- Published: 2025-01-02
- Effective: 2025-01-02
- Comments close: not stated
- Significant: no
- Touches household money: no
- Regulation identifier numbers: none
- Last updated: 2026-06-08

## In one line

VA Finally Admits Desert Dust Might Cause Cancer After Decades

## Summary

Starting January 2, 2025, Veterans who served in Southwest Asia or certain other areas during the Gulf War can get easier access to benefits if they have bladder, ureter, or related urinary cancers linked to tiny air pollution particles (PM2.5). This change means VA will assume these cancers are connected to service, speeding up care and claims. Veterans should act fast, as comments on this rule close by March 3, 2025.

## Abstract

The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is issuing this interim final rule (IFR) to amend its adjudication regulations to establish presumptive service connection for urinary bladder, ureter, and related genitourinary (GU) cancers due to exposure to Particulate Matter 2.5 (PM<INF>2.5</INF>) and to implement certain provisions of the Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics Act of 2022 (PACT Act). The new presumptions would apply to Veterans who served on active military, naval, air, or space service in Southwest Asia theater of operations or Somalia during the Persian Gulf War (hereafter Gulf War) on or after August 2, 1990, and in Afghanistan, Syria, Djibouti, Uzbekistan, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, and Yemen during the Gulf War on or after September 11, 2001. This amendment is necessary to provide expeditious health care, services, and benefits to these veterans. This IFR addresses the needs and concerns of Gulf War veterans and Service members who have served and continue to serve in these locations and have been diagnosed with bladder, ureter, and related GU cancers. Neither Congress nor the President has established an end date for the Gulf War. Therefore, to expedite the provision of health care, services, and benefits to current and future Gulf War veterans who may be affected by PM<INF>2.5</INF> due to their military service, VA is establishing presumptive service connection for urinary bladder, ureter, and related GU cancers. This IFR will ease the evidentiary burden of Gulf War Veterans who file claims with VA for these conditions.

## Effects PRIA read

- VA Presumes Certain GU Cancers Linked to PM2.5: benefit, high. Starting January 2, 2025, the VA will presume that urinary bladder, ureter, and related genitourinary (GU) cancers are connected to exposure to fine particulate matter (PM2.5) for Veterans who served on active duty in the Southwest Asia theater of operations or Somalia on or after August 2, 1990, a…
- Eases Claims, May Unlock VA Health Care: benefit, medium. The rule eases the evidentiary burden for covered Veterans filing claims by presuming those cancers are service-connected due to PM2.5, thereby speeding access to care and claims. VA also states that, for veterans not otherwise eligible for VA health care, these presumptions could result in health…

## Related documents

- [2026-20736](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-20736): Air Plan Approval; Michigan; Clean Data Determination for the Berrien, MI and Muskegon, MI Areas for the 2015 Ozone Standards, 2026-10-09
- [2026-20757](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-20757): Schedules of Controlled Substances; Removal of Exemption Status for Inactive Butalbital Products, 2026-10-09
- [2026-20727](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-20727): Medical Devices; Immunology and Microbiology Devices; Classification of the System for Detection of Nucleic Acid From Non-Viral Microorgani…, 2026-10-09
- [2026-20792](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-20792): Raisins Produced From Grapes Grown in California; Order Amending Marketing Order No. 989, 2026-10-09
- [C1-2026-20019](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/C1-2026-20019): Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Groundfish Reserves in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands Management Area, 2026-10-09
- [2026-20748](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2026-20748): Schedules of Controlled Substances: Placement of O-Desmethyltramadol in Schedule I; Correction, 2026-10-09

## Sources
- [2024-31220 on federalregister.gov](https://www.federalregister.gov/documents/2025/01/02/2024-31220/presumptive-service-connection-for-bladder-ureter-and-related-genitourinary-cancers-due-to-exposure)
- [2024-31220 as published (PDF)](https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/FR-2025-01-02/pdf/2024-31220.pdf)

## Related
- [Previous: 2024-31204, Civil Monetary Penalty Adjustments for Inflation](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2024-31204)
- [Next: 2024-31500, Airworthiness Directives; Airbus Helicopters Deutschland GmbH Helicopters](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2024-31500)
- [All Federal Register documents](https://policyrisk.com/federal-register)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/federal-register/2024-31220 (as of 2026-06-08).