Decision Following the Formal Evaluation on the Relationship Between Exposure to Fine Particulate Matter and Certain Blood Conditions

Document Headings Document headings vary by document type but may contain the following: the agency or agencies that issued and signed a document the number of the CFR title and the number of each part the document amends, proposes to amend, or is directly related to the agency docket number / agency internal file number the RIN which identifies each regulatory action listed in the Unified Agenda of Federal Regulatory and Deregulatory Actions See the Document Drafting Handbook for more details. Department of Veterans Affairs [Docket No. VA-2025-VACO-0001] AGENCY: Department of Veterans Affairs. ACTION: Notice. SUMMARY: The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is issuing notice of the Secretary's determination under title 38 United States Code (U.S.C.) 1174(a)(2) that a presumption of service connection is not warranted for polycythemia vera, essential thrombocythemia, histiocytosis, mastocytosis, and chronic myeloproliferative disease for veterans exposed to fine particulate matter (PM 2.5 ) while serving in the Southwest Asia Theater of Operations or Somalia on or after August 2, 1990, or in Afghanistan, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Djibouti, or Uzbekistan on or after September 11, 2001. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Dr. Erin Dursa, Veterans Health Administration, 202-461-7297. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: 38 U.S.C. 1171 -74 details the process for determining presumptions of service connection based on toxic exposures. On November 20, 2024, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs directed a formal evaluation  [ 1 ] of five blood conditions, including polycythemia vera, essential thrombocythemia, histiocytosis, mastocytosis, and chronic myeloproliferative disease for veterans exposed to PM 2.5 while serving in the Southwest Asia theater of operations or Somalia on or after August 2, 1990, or in Afghanistan, Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Syria, Yemen, Djibouti, or Uzbekistan on or after September 11, 2001. VA conducted a formal evaluation between November 2024 a…