Sunday, May 31, 2009
Long after its military wreaked havoc on the Vietnam countryside with Agent Orange and other defoliants, the U.S. government has decided to contribute a larger share to help clean up the damage from the Vietnam War. President Barack Obama recently signed legislation that gives Vietnam $6 million for Agent Orange remediation efforts, up from the $3 million donated by the Bush administration. Most of the money will go towards cleanup in Danang, where the U.S. military once had a huge air force base, at which Agent Orange was processed and loaded onto American planes.
The U.S. sprayed more than 20 million gallons of Agent Orange and other herbicides as part of its battles against the North Vietnamese Army and Viet Cong guerrillas. The Vietnam government claims that about four million people have suffered serious health problems from the chemical agents, including cancer, spina bifida and other birth defects. American officials dispute the number of Vietnamese adversely affected by the spraying, however the U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs does recognize 10 health conditions related to exposure to Agent Orange and other herbicides, including prostate cancer, type 2 diabetes, Hodgkin’s disease and non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma.
Officials in Hanoi believe their country will need $57 million to clean up Danang and the former U.S. air bases in Bien Hoa and Phu Cat.
-Noel Brinkerhoff
US Doubles Funds for Agent Orange Cleanup (by Ben Stocking, Associated Press)
Agent Orange Information for Veterans (Department of Veterans Affairs)
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