US Begins Historic Clean Up of Agent Orange in Vietnam
August 03, 2012
BANGKOK — The United States next
week in Vietnam will begin cleaning up leftover deposits of the toxic
chemical dioxin from the herbicide Agent Orange sprayed by U.S. forces
on vegetation during the Vietnam War. The toxin was found at former
U.S. air bases and has been linked to disease and birth defects. On the
significance of the cleanup and the health consequences of dioxin still
felt in Vietnam today.
Environment decontamination
Vietnamese and U.S. officials on Thursday are launching a project to clean up a contaminated former American airbase at Da Nang.
Vietnamese and U.S. officials on Thursday are launching a project to clean up a contaminated former American airbase at Da Nang.
The Vietnam War-era base was one of many used to store Agent Orange, an
herbicide with an unintended but highly toxic byproduct, dioxin.
During the Vietnam War U.S. air forces sprayed millions of liters of
Agent Orange to clear vegetation in search of Vietnam’s communist
forces.
The defoliant killed off millions of acres of vegetation and has been
linked to diseases such as diabetes, cancer and birth defects.
But, due to doubts about scientific evidence, and concerns about
liability and diplomatic relations, efforts to clean up the toxin have
been slow.
Charles Bailey is director of the Agent Orange in Vietnam Program
at the Aspen Institute, a co-chair of the U.S.-Vietnam Dialogue Group
on Agent Orange. He says the clean-up marks a historic turning point
and both governments deserve credit.
“Because, they’ve both come a long way from being, you know, unable to
agree on most aspects of this subject to a point where they have
successfully over a number of years done all the technical work to get
to this point of saying ‘ok, here’s how we’re going to destroy it once
and for all,” said Bailey.
Exposure to Agent Orange
The U.S. Agency for International Development, USAID, is overseeing the clean up at Da Nang, the most toxic of 28 dioxin “hot spots” in Vietnam.
The U.S. Agency for International Development, USAID, is overseeing the clean up at Da Nang, the most toxic of 28 dioxin “hot spots” in Vietnam.
The decontamination will involve testing and gathering affected soil
and heating it to high temperature to burn off leftover dioxin.
Da Nang is still a working airport so the four-year, $43 million, project has to be carried out carefully.
Other former air bases are expected to be cleaned-up within the next decade, erasing the most toxic traces of dioxin.
But, Bailey says even after decontamination the larger problem is
helping people and their descendants whose health problems are
associated with Agent Orange.
“For them, particularly for children and young adults who’ve been born
with disabilities, the effort, the focus, has been on programs that will
enable them to live lives of greater comfort and dignity and to achieve
what they are capable of, and to assist their families,” Bailey stated.
Vietnam says at least three million people living near the bases were exposed to Agent Orange and show higher incidents of disease and birth defects.
Families suffering from disabilities show a higher rate of poverty as health care expenses go up and family income goes down.
The U.S.-Vietnam Dialogue Group on Agent Orange/Dioxin estimates $450
million is needed to completely eliminate dioxin “hot spots” and provide
care, education, and economic opportunities to those affected.
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