VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin signed a new bill into law that works to better protect first responders if they’re exposed to toxic chemicals on the job.
The News 3 Investigative Team continues to follow through on this issue, which stems from the "Good Friday Miracle" jet crash in Virginia Beach.
On Good Friday back in 2012, a Navy plane crashed into an apartment complex on Birdneck Road. Miraculously, no one was killed in the accident.
Earlier this year, we interviewed Virginia Beach Fire officials, who told us first responders were exposed to toxic chemicals that day.
“I know we had jet fuel, carbon fibers, we had a lot of buildings burning, materials, automobiles. Just everything that could possibly be involved in a big chemical soup,” said Virginia Beach Fire Department Chief Kenneth Pravetz.
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Virginia Beach Firefighter Matt Chiaverotti died from a rare form of cancer in April 2023. He also responded to the Good Friday crash.
“You can’t tie anything to a specific event. We know the risk at that event was different and there are cancers that are related to the materials that he was exposed to, so the presumption is the event may have led to Matt’s cancer,” said Pravetz.
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He said there are seven other active cancer cases within the department potentially related to the crash.
The new bill Gov. Youngkin recently signed into law will create a work group that will look at how funds could potentially be used to treat first responders in Virginia exposed to toxic chemicals while on the job.
“Not every bill gets unanimous support, but this was one of them, and I'm proud that partisanship didn't get in the way and that we all are very concerned and supportive of our first responders,” said Virginia State Senator Aaron Rouse, the sponsor of the bill.
The new law goes into effect July 1. The work group is expected to report its findings to the General Assembly by Nov. 1.
