FrontLines - March 2010
By Richard Nyberg
HANOI—Vietnam and the United States are working to clean up soil and sediment contaminated with dioxin, a chemical in the defoliant Agent Orange.
Dr. Lai Minh Hien of Vietnam’s Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment (center) explains dioxin contamination in Sen Lake, near Danang Airport, to, left to right, USAID Vietnam Director Frank Donovan; Nguyen Manh Hung of East Meets West; Andrew Herrup, environment, science, technology & health officer from the U.S. Embassy; and Vietnamese officials.
A recently signed memorandum of understanding outlines how the U.S. and Vietnam governments will continue to improve environmental, health, and social conditions around Danang Airport, where Agent Orange was stored during the Vietnam War.
Michael Michalak, the U.S. ambassador to Vietnam, said the agreement “marks an important milestone and a new level of commitment in working together to find new and innovative solutions to a complex problem.”
Photo by Richard Nyberg, USAID
Sure; where do you find unpolluted soil and water to replace the tonnes of both that will be removed; Treatment of soil and water Will take decades; just look at the soil and water contaminated by DDT in the 1950's,1960's and early 1970's around the world! Then there is the question where does one put this contamination safe enough to clean it or worse yet hide it?! Now comes the question can it be cleaned? If not where does one intend to 'hide' it that will last up to two centuries or until sometime when it can be cleaned for reuse? Well once again Monsanto and Company are dodging their responsibility to humankind in cleaning this up still 60 years later as if they need a golden invite to do so.
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