Agent Orange Legacy In Washington D.C.

http://salem-news.com/articles/february272013/orange-legacy-sp-dr.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Salem-news+%28Salem-News.com%29

(WASHINGTON DC) -The children of Vietnam Veterans, who answered the call of duty, have been left without proper medical intervention. Some are dying, some are already dead. Many of the children of Vietnam Veterans have lost their parent(s) due to exposure to Agent Orange which is laced with the toxic chemical, dioxin. Dioxin is one of the most deadly chemicals known to man, animal and without a doubt our planet.

I cannot express to you just how urgent the need for proper medical intervention is for these adult children and future generations to come.

We do not want our children to suffer as we have!

As difficult as it was for me to travel to Washington DC I did it. I did it to serve as voice for not only myself but, all of the children of Vietnam Veterans who are sick and unable to get proper medical intervention.

Something needs to be done now!

READ MORE: http://salem-news.com/articles/february272013/orange-legacy-sp-dr.php?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+Salem-news+%28Salem-News.com%29

VA Nearly Done With Agent Orange Claims

http://www.blogs.va.gov/VAntage/7229/va-nearly-done-with-agent-orange-claims/
About two years ago, Secretary Shinseki made the decision to award presumptions of service connection to certain diseases that may have been caused by exposure to Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. That decision added nearly a quarter of a million claims to an already stressed backlog, but it was a long overdue victory for Vietnam Vets and their families who waited too long for action.
Today, VA announced that nearly all of the 230,000 claims for Agent Orange presumption for diseases including ischemic heart disease, hairy cell and other chronic B-cell leukemias, and Parkinson’s disease have been processed, which has put $3.6 billion into the hands of Vietnam Vets and their survivors. The most experienced raters, about 36 percent of all employees who handle claims, were put on these claims to get the claims finished as soon as possible.

Now that nearly all Agent Orange presumption claims have been completed, the 1,200 claims workers diverted to this unprecedented action will return to normal duties. This will surely help tackle the backlog, which significantly grown as Veterans return from Iraq and Afghanistan and file more complex claims at a higher rate than ever before (45 percent of new Veterans submit claims after service). VA completed one million claims in each of the last two years, an unprecedented number, but the amount of claims submitted outpaced those numbers.
VA has put together a transformation plan that emphasizes technology and new processes to finish claims faster and more accurately. The Veterans Benefits Management System is on its way to 16 regional offices this year, and will be found at 56 regional offices by the end of next year.
Veterans who may qualify for Agent Orange presumption include those who were exposed based on duty or visitation in Vietnam or on its inland waterways between January 9, 1962, and May 7, 1975; exposed along the demilitarized zone in Korea between April 1, 1968, and August 31, 1971; or exposed due to herbicide tests and storage at military bases within and outside of the United States. Check out the Agent Orange Fast Track web site if you think you may be affected by the diseases listed above as a result of Agent Orange exposure.

VA Halts Further Clinic Leases: Future Care to be Denied Take Action!

Federal law requires the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) to obtain Congressional approval for a commercial lease of a future VA medical facility if the estimated first-year lease cost exceeds $1 million. This policy has been in place for more than a decade. Dozens of leases for VA-operated community-based outpatient clinics have been approved under this procedure. Using a leasing authority rather than constructing VA-owned facilities allows VA to quickly establish convenient primary care facilities for veterans in communities where they live. Veterans who use these community clinics report high satisfaction with their care and the convenience they offer.
In 2012, in evaluating 15 proposed VA leases that each exceed the $1 million threshold, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) concluded that Congressional rules require that funds to offset the entire 20-year prospective lease cost would need to be included either in the VA budget, or would be taken from funding of ongoing veterans programs­all in the first year of each lease. CBO indicated this policy also would apply to renewals of existing VA leases. This CBO decision multiplied VA’s costs for these proposed 15 leases by 20-fold, for a total need of $1.2-$1.5 billion in Fiscal Year (FY) 2013. Since funds of this magnitude could not be diverted from other VA accounts for this surprising new requirement and aren’t covered in the budget request that had been submitted to Congress, these 15 leases were dropped from further Congressional consideration last year.
In VA's current planning, including 15 new community-based outpatient clinics located in California, Connecticut, Florida, Georgia, Hawaii, Kansas, Louisiana (2 sites), Massachusetts, New Jersey, New Mexico, Puerto Rico, Texas (2 sites), and South Carolina, VA also projects a need to lease or renew existing leases for 23 more community-based health care facilities through FY 2017 to provide care for more than 340,000 veterans across 22 states and US territories.
Unless CBO changes its policy or Congress acts to overturn this CBO decision with legislation or makes a change in House Rules in current funding policy, most if not all these leases are in jeopardy. Veterans consequently will be denied access to VA health care in these locations.
Please use the prepared electronic letter provided in this alert, or write your own letter, to express to your Senators and Representatives your concerns about this unfair policy that will negatively impact availability of services to wounded, injured and ill veterans. Unless a change is made, VA will be forced to buy land and construct government-owned clinics, or more likely will require veterans who need VA care to travel longer distances to receive it. VA-built clinics would be more expensive, would take much longer to approve and activate, and would reduce VA’s flexibility to place and move facilities based on the changing needs of the veteran population. Forcing veterans to unnecessarily travel for care would increase inconvenience and add additional costs.

WHAT CAN YOU DO?

Contact your US Senator and member of congress and register your objection to this decision.

Not sure of your congressional district or who your member is? This service will assist you by matching your ZIP code to your congressional district, with links to your member's website and contact page.

Find Your Representative: http://www.house.gov/representatives/find/

Men say their breast cancer was caused by contaminated water at Camp Lejeune

http://rockcenter.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/22/17059795-men-say-their-breast-cancer-was-caused-by-contaminated-water-at-camp-lejeune?lite

By Ami Schmitz and Kristina Krohn
Rock Center
Mike Partain got the shock of his life five years ago when he was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 39. That he got breast cancer at all is surprising. It's so rare that for every 100 women who get it, just one man will.
“Five years ago I was just an ordinary father of four, husband of 18 years. And one night, my then-wife gave me a hug and she felt a bump on my chest,” he said in an interview with Dr. Nancy Snyderman airing tonight at 10pm/9CT on NBC News’ Rock Center with Brian Williams.  
When his doctor delivered the devastating news in a phone call, Partain’s first thought was, “What contest in hell did I win to deserve this?”
After his diagnosis, Partain was desperate to answer the question, “why”? He said, “I don't drink. I don't smoke. I've never done drugs. There is no history of breast cancer in my family.”  
But everything changed after he saw a news report, where a former Marine drill instructor named Jerry Ensminger told Congress how his 9-year-old daughter Janey died of leukemia, and that he believed her death was caused by drinking water at Camp Lejeune contaminated with chemicals.
“My knees buckled,” Mike said, “I grabbed the back of the couch and I sat there.  I was like, ‘Oh my God, this is what happened.’” 
The son of a Marine, Partain was born at Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. He soon learned that there had been a long history of suspicion about the water at Camp Lejeune.
“The entire time my mother was pregnant with me, we were drinking high levels of tetrachloroethylene, trichloroethylene, and benzene in our water” he said. Partain believes these chemicals caused his breast cancer.
The Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) estimates that between 500,000 and 1 million people were exposed to the contaminated water from 1953 to 1987, when the last of several contaminated wells were closed. 
Partain has found 83 other men who lived or served at Camp Lejeune who have also been diagnosed with male breast cancer. 
Peter Devereaux, a 50-year-old a former Marine, is one of them. He was diagnosed in 2008.
Devereaux remembers when his doctor first let him know he had breast cancer.
“I was just like, whooo. Even now I've said that so many times, it still takes your breath away,” he said.
READ MORE: http://rockcenter.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/02/22/17059795-men-say-their-breast-cancer-was-caused-by-contaminated-water-at-camp-lejeune?lite

Agent Orange Studies

 http://www.c-spanvideo.org/program/8342-1

July 11, 1989

House Committee Government Operations | Human Resources and Intergovt. Relations

The subcommittee held an oversight hearing to review the Centers for Disease Control’s study on the defoliant Agent Orange. The study claims that it is impossible to determine from records which Vietnam veterans were exposed to the toxic chemical.

 

  

Mary Stout, VVA National President, 1987-1991

Tomorrow is Parkinson's Call-in Day

Thanks to our good friend Zack Earp

 Are You Ready?

Parkinson's Call-in Day is Wednesday, February 27, 2013

Thousands of advocates from across the country will be calling Congress, asking Members to protect funding for Parkinson's research.

Join Them!

Here's why we need your voice:

The U.S. government is the largest funder of Parkinson's research in the world and Parkinson's research funding is at risk of being drastically cut.

Are you in?
Great.  Follow these three simple steps:

1. MAKE THE CALL
To call your Representative, dial:  (202) 225-2305.
To call your Senators, dial: (202) 224-3841 & (202) 224-3553.

To reach a different Member of Congress, dial:  (202) 224-3121.

Ask to speak to the Health Legislative Assistant.  It's okay to speak to someone else and/or leave a message.

2. MAKE THE ASK
Here's what to say:

1. My name is [NAME].  I live in [CITY, STATE] and [I have/my loved one has] Parkinson's disease.

2. Please maintain funding for the NIH, the FDA, and the DoD Parkinson's research program during negotiations on sequestration and the current budget.

3. Thank you and I look forward to your support.

3. SHARE THIS ALERT WITH YOUR FAMILY AND FRIENDS
Anyone can do it!  Friends, family, neighbors, doctors, nurses, work colleagues, support groups -- the more, the better.  Share this alert with your networks and get the phones ringing in Congress! Share on Facebook.

Thank you for raising your voice to protect Parkinson's research.

Vietnamese school trains disabled victims of Agent Orange

http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health/article/1153160/vietnamese-school-trains-disabled-victims-agent-orange
In a special school, about 11 kilometres southwest of Hanoi, more than 100 students learn to read, write and count, and also pick up vocational skills such as embroidery, sewing and making decorative plastic flowers.
It is hoped these skills will help them set up a small business in future, as they are unlikely to get traditional employment after "graduating" from this Vietnamese school.

"The [Agent Orange] victims live a hard life," says Chinh. "We will continue to remind everybody that chemical warfare should not happen again."

The children, along with 40 war veterans, are residents of the Vietnam Friendship Village in Van Canh Commune in Ha Tay province. They all suffer from mental and physical ailments caused by exposure to Agent Orange, the herbicide that US military forces sprayed on lands in Vietnam and Laos between 1962 and 1971 to remove forest cover, destroy crops and clear vegetation.
One of the world's most toxic poisons, Agent Orange - so named because it came in chemical drums marked with orange stripes - is linked to cancers, diabetes, birth defects and other disabilities. It's a bitter and lasting legacy of the Vietnam war. "The Agent Orange victims are among the poorest in Vietnam," says Dang Vu Dung, director of the Friendship Village.
READ MORE: http://www.scmp.com/lifestyle/health/article/1153160/vietnamese-school-trains-disabled-victims-agent-orange

The Aspen Institute - Agent Orange in Vietnam Program 2012

http://www.aspeninstitute.org/sites/default/files/content/upload/Agent%20Orange%20in%20Vietnam%202012%20Report%20-%20EN.pdf
The Aspen Institute's Agent Orange in Vietnam Program (AOVP) is a multi-year project to help Americans and Vietnamese address the continuing health and environmental impact of herbicides sprayed in Vietnam during the war. Between the United States and Vietnam and within the U.S. policy community, the program promotes dialogue on solutions to the continuing impact of the wartime use of herbicides in Vietnam. The program provides the U.S. secretariat for the bi-national Dialogue Group and manages the Agent Orange in Vietnam Fund supporting model projects benefiting people with disabilities in Vietnam.
The Agent Orange in Vietnam Program takes a two-pronged approach. First, through meetings and policy briefs, it will promote discussion within the U.S. policy community about dioxin in Vietnam and solutions to stem its continuing impact. Second, the program will strengthen US-Vietnamese cooperation on this issue by assisting the U.S.-Vietnam Dialogue Group on Agent Orange/Dioxin. The Dialogue Group has identified ways to deal with the most pressing of the human and environmental consequences of the U.S. military's defoliation campaign. This bipartisan, non-governmental initiative is comprised of distinguished policy makers, scientists, and nonprofit and business leaders. With Susan Berresford serving as convener of the group, the Vietnamese side is lead by Ambassador Ha Huy Thong, vice chair of the Vietnamese National Assembly's Foreign Affairs Committee, and leading the U.S. side is Walter Isaacson, president and CEO of the Aspen Institute.
For More Information Contact: Janice Joseph at the Aspen Institute Agent Orange in Vietnam Program, 477 Madison Avenue Suite 730 New York, NY 10022. janice.joseph@aspeninstitute.org, 212 895-8000.

New GMO ‘Agent Orange Soy’ Silently Backed by USDA

http://naturalsociety.com/gmo-soy-agent-orange-2-4-d-herbicide/
Millions of pounds of herbicides are applied to crops around the nation each year. In one single year, 2006, 96.7 million pounds of glyphosate was sprayed on soybeans alone; this is a 20-fold increase from the 4.9 million pounds in 1994, the year before Monsanto’s Roundup Ready seeds were introduced. Well now, biotechnology giant and creator pesticides and herbicides, Dow AgroSciences is bringing forth brand new GMO soybeans and GMO corn to the market that will ultimately cause more herbicides than ever to be sprayed across the nation. What’s more, the USDA is all over the idea.

2,4-D Herbicide and Super GMO Crops

And perhaps even more startling than the drastic increase in herbicide usage is the fact that Dow AgroSciences’ new genetically modified soy is actually specifically designed to resist an especially toxic herbicide known as 2,4-D, a toxic compound used in the well-known Vietnam War defoliant Agent Orange. Known to kill or maim at least 400,000 and cause an additional 500,000 birth defects according to conservative Vietnamese estimates, Agent Orange is one of the deadliest concoctions on record.
As of now, biotech giant Monsanto still has a tight grasp on the corn and soybean market, with approximately 90 percent of soy and 70 percent of corn engineered to drown in Monsanto’s best-selling herbicide Roundup. However, it seems that their control over this market may soon dwindle at rapid speeds, as Roundup is creating a whole new category of superweeds that are resistant to Roundup and the active ingredient in Roundup - glyphosate. These resistant weeds were expected by experts to cover at least 120 million hectares worldwide by 2010.

READ MORE: http://naturalsociety.com/gmo-soy-agent-orange-2-4-d-herbicide/

Farmer vs. biotech: Supreme Court will decide if soybean seeds get copy protection

http://www.theverge.com/2013/2/19/4002670/supreme-court-farmer-patents-monsanto-soybean-seed

4
inShare

Today, the Supreme Court is set to begin hearing a case between agrochemical giant Monsanto and a farmer who figured out a way around Monsanto's strict requirement that its customers buy new varieties of its genetically modified soybean seeds every year.
The farmer, 75-year-old Vernon Hugh Bowman, attempted to grow two soybean crops on his farm beginning in 1999. The first crop was Monsanto's patented genetically modified soybeans, which are resistant to the company's weed-killer chemical Roundup. Then Bowman planted another crop using cheaper mixed soybean seeds purchased from a grain elevator, which are usually used for livestock feed and not grown for human consumption.
But the many of seeds Bowman bought from the grain elevator also contained Monsanto's patented genetic modifications, and though the company can't stop farmers from selling their leftover Monsanto seeds to grain elevators, it does have agreements prohibiting its customers from saving its seeds from year to year. Because he acquired Monsanto's seeds through this cheaper resale channel and grew them in the same fashion as seeds bought direct from Monsanto, the company sued Bowman for patent infringement, winning an $84,000 judgment in Indiana district court in 2007. Monsanto has sued hundreds of other small farmers for the same reason, and many have settled, but Bowman's is the first case to be heard by the nation's highest court.

Monsanto has sued hundreds of other small farmers for the same reason

READ MORE: http://www.theverge.com/2013/2/19/4002670/supreme-court-farmer-patents-monsanto-soybean-seed

REGISTER NOW: IMPORTANT MESSAGE TO CHILDREN OF VIETNAM VETERANS

http://agentorangelegacy.com/2013/02/register-now-important-message-to-children-of-vietnam-veterans/
Vietnam Veterans of America Agent Orange/Dioxin Committee is asking the children of Vietnam veterans exposed to Agent Orange; adult children (we recommend you register your children also) who are ill and/or have birth defects, learning disabilities and/or mental health issues; to register with Birth Defect Research for Children, Inc. National Birth Defect Registry.
Participation in the registry includes:

• Completing an online questionnaire which can be found at this link: http://www.birthdefects.org/registry/

• The questionnaire will ask about you (the child) or your disabilities; health and family history of both parents; exposures during pregnancy and occupational exposures.

• A special section will ask about the veteran’s service in Vietnam. This section was designed in collaboration with the New Jersey State Agent Orange Commission.

• Collected data will be used for a study of the pattern of birth defects and disabilities that have been most frequently reported in the children of Vietnam veterans.

• All data are confidential. Your permission would be requested before any researcher would get in touch with you.

For more information contact Betty Mekdeci, 407-895-0802 or send email to betty@birthdefects.org.

Environmental Remediation

http://vietnam.usaid.gov/environmental-remediation

 Areas at Danang International Airport have been referred to as a dioxin "hotspot" due to high dioxin concentrations in soil and lakebed sediment remaining at this site from the U.S.-Vietnam War. The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Vietnamese Ministry of National Defense (MND) are jointly implementing the Environmental Remediation of Dioxin Contamination at Danang Airport Project which aims to clean up the dioxin contamination and reduce the risk of exposure to dioxin while developing Vietnamese capacity for implementing similar remediation activities at other sites in Vietnam.
See photos of site preparation in Danang.
Information provided on this website includes:

• Progress Reports for the Environmental Remediation Project at Danang Airport
• Project Timeline
• Remediation Status & Schedule
• Remediation Areas
• A Description of the Remediation Process
• How Health and Safety Concerns Have Been Addressed
• Frequently Asked Questions
• Community and Stakeholder Engagement
• Key Facts about the Environmental Remediation Project in Danang

Health and Safety Is Our Primary ConcernAs we carry out this project, we are making all effort to ensure that the health and safety of on-site workers, airport personnel, and Danang residents are protected. Read more about Health and Safety.

Agent Orange Review - Presumed Agent Orange Exposure Along the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ)

http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/publications/newsletter.asp
VA expanded the dates of presumed Agent Orange exposure along the Korean demilitarized zone (DMZ) to April 1, 1968 - August 31, 1971. This simplifies and speeds the benefit application process for Veterans of the Korean DMZ.

Other Features in this Issue

• Check VA’s “Ships List”
• VA Studies High Blood Pressure, Chronic Lung Disease Among Vietnam Veterans
• Agent Orange Registry Health Evaluation
• New Hotline for Homeless Veterans
• Service in Camp Lejeune?
• Understanding Heart Disease and How to Reduce Your Risk
• “Million Veteran Program” Seeks Volunteers
• Agent Orange Registry Statistics

Commissioner Rogers: Dioxin Testing on the Passaic River Does Not Pose A Health Risk

http://belleville.patch.com/articles/commissioner-rogers-dioxin-testing-on-the-passaic-river-does-not-pose-a-health-risk
On Monday, Feb. 11, Nutley Commissioner  Steven Rogers met with representatives of the EPA, the Director of the Essex Regional Health Commission, and representatives of the Nutley Board of Education to learn about the dioxin testing on the Passaic River.
"I am satisfied that the EPA will now communicate closely with the Health Department with regard to the work and testing being done on the Passaic River," said Commissioner Rogers.
Commissioner Rogers said that the EPA and Sandy Harris, the Director of the Essex Regional Health Commission would take the lead on reviewing and disseminating testing results and other information to Nutley.  He added that the Health Department would be in close contact with the Nutley Board of Education as testing and other work being completed on the Passaic River is in progress.
"We asked the EPA to create a fact sheet containing important information for public view," Rogers said.
The Commissioner said the fact sheet woud be reviewed by the Essex Regional Health Commission before being sent to the Nutley Health Department and Nutley School Board.  
"Bottom line, according to the EPA, there are no health related issues for Nutley to be concerned about," Rogers said.

U.S. report to deny Agent Orange in Okinawa

Pentagon to admit pesticides dumped but not Vietnam War defoliant

Agent Orange in Okinawa 

A U.S. Department of Defense investigation into the presence of Agent Orange on Okinawa Island is set to support veterans’ allegations of the clandestine burial of potentially harmful chemicals there — but dismiss claims that the toxic Vietnam War defoliant was among them.

Sources knowledgeable about the final report say the inquiry is likely to uphold accounts that large amounts of military supplies, including pesticides, were dumped during the 1960s and ’70s at Okinawa installations — possibly including U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma and a former military installation in the town of Chatan.
The admission is likely to fuel demands in the prefecture for environmental tests to ensure that the land — some of which has been returned to civilian use — is no longer contaminated.
According to information obtained by The Japan Times, the Pentagon launched the inquiry at the request of the Japanese government nine months ago. Full details of the final report will be announced in Washington next Tuesday at a meeting attended by officials from the Japanese Embassy and representatives from the Department of Veterans Affairs — the agency responsible for deciding redress for service members sickened in the line of duty.
READ MORE: Agent Orange in Okinawa

 

Rep. Gibson's new bill cites Agent Orange

Would help Vietnam Veterans
http://www.recordonline.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20130212/NEWS/302120333 

Times Herald-Record

Published: 2:00 AM - 02/12/13

KINGSTON — U.S. Rep. Chris Gibson (R-NY) updated local veterans on efforts in Congress to help them during a meeting Monday at his district office.

Those efforts include a bill he's introduced, the Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act.

The legislation would grant presumptive Agent Orange exposure status to U.S. service members — primarily those serving in the Navy — who served in the so-called territorial waters, up to 12 miles off the shore in Vietnam.

"We had sailors who served just off the shore ... but they don't get presumed coverage," Gibson said. "That's not right."

Agent Orange, used as a defoliant by the United States in Vietnam, has been linked to cancer and various nerve, respiratory and digestive disorders, among other ailments. Those service persons with presumed exposure are entitled to certain health benefits.

Gibson said his measure is "gaining momentum," with 126 co-sponsors when it was introduced in the last session of Congress, and 50 already signed on for this go-round.

Among the legislation that did pass in the previous Congress, Gibson touted the VOW to Hire Heroes Act. (VOW stands for Veterans Opportunity to Work.)

Gibson said the act gives tax credits to small businesses that hire veterans, and also offers job retraining assistance for up to 100,000 unemployed veterans.

It also helps link veterans to employers in the field in which they are retrained.

Gibson, who served 24 years in the U.S. Army, is a member of the House Armed Services Committee. He said his office pursues a policy of "aggressive advocacy for veterans." He represents New York's 19th Congressional District, which includes all of Sullivan and Ulster counties.

New Agent Orange Information Fort Dietrich Maryland

http://www.detrick.a...lReport2012.

Archives Search Report
Findings for Field Testing of
2,4,5-T and Other Herbicides
Fort Detrick
Frederick, MD
4 April 2012
 
Prepared by
U.S. Army Corps of Engineers St. Louis District
Prepared for
U.S. Army Environmental Command (USAEC)
and
U.S. Army Garrison Fort Detrick
271 pages

Click on the links below to read the stories of Faces of Agent Orange

Amy King-Applewhite	James May
Sheila Clement	Linda May
Robert Cummings	Betty Mekdeci
Arthur Dekoff	John Miner
Mike Demske	The Morrises
Msgt LeRoy Foster	Sharon Perry
Dan Griffin	The Petroskys
Mark David Finley	The Snyders
The Hansens	Dayna Dupuis Theriot
The Holybees	Tommy Thornton
Joe Ingino	Dennis Whalen
Gary Jones	Jim Whitworth
Maynard Kaderlik	Sherri Wise
Sharity Keith-Reichard	The Worthingtons
Roland Mayhew

Veterans Die Waiting For Benefits As VA Claims Backlog Builds

A VA internal report shows that the computerized system intended to fix the benefits backlog problem is adding to it.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/02/09/veterans-die-waiting-for-benefits-as-va-claims-backlog-builds.html 

Despite Secretary Eric Shinseki’s oft-repeated pledge to fix the Department of Veteran Affairs broken disabilities claim system by 2015, the problems have gotten worse, according to a scathing new internal report.

Claims now take an average of 272 days to be processed—an increase of nearly 40 percent from 2011—with some lingering for as long as a year. The error rate now hovers around 14 percent, and the mountainous backlog stands at nearly 900,000, as 53 veterans reportedly die each day waiting for their benefits, according to the Center for Investigative Reporting.

The VA's disability claims crisis has only been made worse by the department's high-tech new computerized system intended to streamline the benefits process, according to the strongly worded report (PDF) from the department’s Office of the Inspector General. The $500 million computerized Veterans Benefits Management System (VBMS) has no implementation plan and is riddled with problems, including disorganized electronic claims folders and improper management of hard-copy claims.
READ MORE: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/02/09/veterans-die-waiting-for-benefits-as-va-claims-backlog-builds.html

 

No evidence Marine Corps conducted critical water test at Camp Lejeune

http://www.tampabay.com/news/military/no-evidence-marine-corps-conducted-critical-water-test-at-camp-lejeune/1273599
The Marine Corps has repeatedly argued federal law didn't regulate the cancer-causing pollutants that fouled the drinking water at Camp Lejeune until long after the contamination was discovered.
But the Corps' own regulations, starting in 1963, required water testing at the North Carolina base and other Marine bases using a method that some say could have provided a warning about tainted water, according to documents and interviews.

 The method, called Carbon Chloroform Extract, or CCE, is a "technically practical procedure which will afford a large measure of protection against the presence of undetected toxic materials in finished drinking water," said the 1963 Manual of Naval Preventive Medicine, discussing requirements for all Navy and Marine bases.
The Marine Corps' regulations mandated such testing annually, or every two years if water quality was "stable."
But no record of CCE testing at Camp Lejeune can be found in the thousands of pages of documents detailing what some believe to be the worst drinking-water contamination in U.S. history.
READ MORE: http://www.tampabay.com/news/military/no-evidence-marine-corps-conducted-critical-water-test-at-camp-lejeune/1273599

Please Like, Follow, Subscribe, and Share!

Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Faces-of-Agent-Orange/187669911280144

Twitter

http://twitter.com/FacesOfAO

YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/user/facesofagentorange

Our latest video: What do you know about Agent Orange?

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uV2OybAd3IY&feature=channel_video_title

 

Vietnam: The Secret Agent: Award Winning Documentary about Agent Orange

http://vietnamthesecretagent.com/index.php?ref=vd11

 VVA Self-Help Guide to Service-Connected Disability Compensation for Exposure to

Agent Orange for Veterans and their Families

http://www.vva.org/Guides/AgentOrangeGuide.pdf

The Faces of Agent Orange Stories

http://www.vva.org/Committees/AgentOrange/index.html#FAO

Herbicide Tests and Storage in Germany

Agent Orange and other herbicides used in Vietnam were tested or stored elsewhere, including in countries outside of the U.S. Below is information from the Department of Defense (DoD) on projects to test, dispose of, or store herbicides outside the U.S. For projects in the U.S., go to Herbicide Tests and Storage in the U.S.
View all as PDF: Herbicide Tests and Storage Outside of Vietnam (224 KB, PDF)

Triclosan in soaps appears to contribute to dioxin in lakes

http://gallondaily.com/2013/01/28/triclosan-in-soaps-appears-to-contribute-to-dioxin-in-lakes/
A new study reported by researchers at the University of Minnesota has found that triclosan, a antibacterial agent widely used in soaps and similar personal care products, as well as in  the manufacture of textiles, leather, paper, plastic and rubber to stop the growth of bacteria, fungus, mildew, and to prevent odours, is the dominant source of several forms of dioxin in lakes which are receiving effluents from sewage treatment plants.
The research indicates that the use of chlorine in wastewater treatment plants where triclosan is present in the effluent leads to formation of chlorinated triclosan compounds which then react photochemically to form four types of dioxin. In lakes with no wastewater input the researchers found no dioxins. Dioxins are a family of chemicals many of which are highly toxic and carcinogenic.
Environment Canada announced last March that it will “initiate consultations with industry on the potential for voluntary reductions in the use of triclosan in products”.

The new research is available in the form of an abstract (free) or full article (subscription or fee required) at http://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/es3045289?prevSearch=triclosan%2B2013&searchHistoryKey=
The Environment Canada position on triclosan is at http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/ahc-asc/media/nr-cp/_2012/2012-48-eng.php with a link on that page to a more detailed government Q&A.

Agent Orange Corn Deregulation Delayed

http://tilth.org/news/agent-orange-corn-deregulation-delayed
Agent Orange corn won’t be coming to a field near you. This year. But its maker, Dow AgriSciences, has its sights set on the 2014 planting season.
Dow’s Enlist corn, soy and cotton, all awaiting deregulation by the USDA, are genetically engineered to be immune to the biotech giant’s Enlist herbicide. Enlist herbicide combines the weed-killers 2,4-D, a key ingredient in Agent Orange, and glyphosate, the active ingredient in Monsanto’s Roundup weed killer. Studies link 2,4-D exposure to cancer, lowered sperm counts, liver toxicity and Parkinson's disease. Lab studies show that 2,4-D causes endocrine disruption, reproductive problems, neurotoxicity and immunosuppression.
Last year, advocacy groups and medical and health professionals lobbed more than 400,000 complaints about Agent Orange corn at U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack. The National Resources Defense Council has sued the EPA in federal court over the use of 2,4 D in weed killers and other lawn products.
Who will win in the end? Clearly, Dow believes it will. The biotech bully is already gearing up for the 2014 planting season by opening five new “technology centers” in the Midwest and South to train farmers on how to plant Agent Orange corn, and to help to set up over 100 field plots at seed company and retail locations.
Learn more about the dangers of 2,4-D

Update: Agent Orange’s Toxic Trail

In the seaside city of Da Nang, Vietnam, a clean-up is underway to remove dioxin-contaminated soil at a former U.S. military air base. Some 8,500 miles to the east, another clean-up is underway to remove dioxin hot spots along the Passaic River in Newark, NJ and upstream, where tides and floods have washed the worrisome stuff into a county park and into mudflats along a popular stretch of water where high school rowers race and families often relax along the banks and fish.  

Long after the Vietnam War ended, the toxic trail left by dioxin-laced Agent Orange stretches from Newark, where herbicides were manufactured for the military in a way that created a long-lasting contaminant, to Southeast Asia—where millions of gallons of the supersized plant-killer were sprayed on jungles, mangrove swamps, military bases and airfield perimeters during a decade of war starting in 1962. 
Unveiled by the Internet’s astounding accumulation of news and government reports, the toxic trail of testing, transporting and trying out these chemicals—which were made in New Jersey, Michigan, West Virginia, Arkansas, Missouri and Kansas—further extends to South Korea, Australia, Canada, Guam, Panama, Puerto Rico, Hawaii, Mississippi, Florida, Maryland, New York and many other states.
This alarming drumbeat of news reports began in the late 1960s, as the chemical spray operations aimed at exposing enemy ambush sites and supply routes in Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos and Thailand set off rising waves of concern about rashes of health problems among Vietnamese villagers.
The herbicide spraying on the other side of the world forty-some years ago still reverberates here at home, especially among Vietnam veterans.
“They sell huge shrimp in stores here—check the package to see where it’s from. They grow shrimp in bomb craters in Vietnam,” says Jim Fallon, of Hoboken, NJ, who developed bone cancer in his right arm after serving as a U.S. Army medic in Vietnam.
READ MORE: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2013/01/30/1183295/-Update-Agent-Orange-s-Toxic-Trail

Exam no longer needed for some disabled vets

Army Times, 31 January 2013

“A small step was taken Thursday to ease the process of receiving veterans’ disability compensation. In a modest change that could end up helping up to 40 percent of disability claimants, the Veterans Affairs Department is eliminating the need for an in-person medical examination if there is enough evidence of a service-connected disability in a veteran’s files or available over the phone.”

To learn more about Veterans Benefits Administration Transformation Initiatives, visit: http://benefits.va.gov/transformation.

New Veteran Bills Introduced in Congress 02/01/2013

S.140 Sponsor: Chairman of Senate Finance Committee Max Baucus (D-MT): this bill amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend the work opportunity credit to certain recently discharged veterans, to improve the coordination of veteran job training services between the Department of Labor, the Department of Veterans Affairs, and the Department of Defense, to require transparency for Executive departments in meeting the Government-wide goals for contracting with small business concerns owned and controlled by service-disabled veterans, and for other purposes.
S.131 Sponsor: Sen. Patty Murray (D-WA): this bill amends title 38, United States Code, to improve the reproductive assistance provided by the Department of Veterans Affairs to severely wounded, ill, or injured veterans and their spouses, and for other purposes.
S. 62 Sponsor: Senator Barbara Boxer (D-CA): The Check the Box for Homeless Veterans Act of 2013 offers taxpayers the opportunity to help keep those who have served our country off the streets by making a voluntary contribution on their annual federal income tax return to support programs that prevent and combat veteran homelessness. Senators Barbara A. Mikulski (D-MD), Mark Begich (D-Alaska), Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.), Chris Coons (D-Del.), Mary Landrieu (D-La.) and Jeff Merkley (D-Ore.) are all cosponsors of this novel legislation that aims to help end veteran homelessness. This legislation would give taxpayers the option to check a box on their annual tax return and make a voluntary contribution in the amount of their choice to a new Homeless Veterans Assistance Fund established in the U.S. Treasury. Donations to the fund would be used to provide assistance to homeless veterans through initiatives at the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the Department of Labor. The legislation would support the Administration's comprehensive five-year plan to end homelessness among our nation's veterans by 2015.
S.49 Veterans Health Equity Act of 2013 Sponsor: Sen. Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) A bill to ensure that veterans in each of the 48 contiguous States are able to receive services in at least one full-service Department of Veterans Affairs medical center in the State or receive comparable services provided by contract in the State, and for other purposes.
(and its companion bill in the House of Representatives)
 H.R. 257 “Veterans Health Equity Act of 2013” Sponsor: Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH) A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to ensure that veterans in each of the 48 contiguous States are able to receive services in at least one full-service hospital of the Veterans Health Administration in the State or receive comparable services provided by contract in the State.
H.R. 241 Veterans Timely Access to Health Care Act Sponsor: Dennis Ross (R-FL) A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish standards of access to care for veterans seeking health care from Department of Veterans Affairs medical facilities, and for other purposes.
 H.R. 183 Veterans Dog Training Therapy Act Sponsor Rep. Michael Grimes (R-NY) A bill to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to carry out a pilot program on dog training therapy.

Hatfield Supports Development of a Plan for Dioxin Remediation at Bien Hoa Airbase, Viet Nam

Hatfield is providing support to the Government of Vietnam to develop a plan to remediate extensive dioxin contamination at the Bien Hoa airbase in Viet Nam. The plan will review existing knowledge describing the extent and nature of dioxin contamination throughout the airbase, data gaps if any, and recommended remedial options. Hatfield is providing a senior advisor who will work collaboratively with Vietnamese authorities and other international scientists to develop the plan that will result in either the remediation or removal of contaminated soil and sediment from the base.

The Bien Hoa project is part of a larger GEF/UNDP-funded programme being implemented by the Vietnamese Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) entitled “Environmental Remediation of Dioxin Contaminated Hotspots in Viet Nam”. The project is designed to minimize disruption of ecosystems and reduce health risks for people potentially exposed to dioxin contaminated sites throughout Viet Nam. This project is contributing towards a broader goal of the Vietnamese government to “overcome the consequences of toxic chemicals used in the war in Viet Nam”, and is focussed on the following three airbases known to be contaminated with dioxin: Bien Hoa, Da Nang and Phu Cat. MONRE as the national implementing partner is implementing the project in close collaboration with the Ministry of Defense (MOD) and People’s Committees in the three (3) Provinces where the hotspots are located. Expected outcomes of the project are: (i) Dioxins in core hotspot areas are contained and remediated; (ii) Landuse on and around hotspots is adjusted to reduce risks and contribute towards environmental recovery; (iii) National regulations and institutional capacities in Viet Nam pertaining to chemical contamination are strengthened.

Viet Nam suffered from extensive dioxin contamination as a result of widespread use of herbicides, often contaminated with dioxin, that were used by American forces during the armed conflict between 1961-1971.

For more information:

Mr. Thomas Boivin, Managing Director
HATFIELD CONSULTANTS MEKONG
HSE No.21, Kualouang Road
North Kualouang Village, Chantabouly District
Vientiane, Lao PDR
E-mail: hcm@hatfieldgroup.com
Phone: +856 20 23229998

About Hatfield:

Established in 1974 and headquartered in Vancouver (Canada), Hatfield Consultants has built a worldwide reputation in environmental services with over 2,200 successful projects in Asia, Africa, Europe, and Latin America. 

We help you apply best environmental practices, meet regulatory requirements, and contribute to a sustainable future.

Guam Agent Orange, Guam Cancer Registry

from Ralph Stanton 
Here are the links to my newest documents about my herbicide experiences while I was on Guam in 1969-70

POL Herbicide Rig:

http://guamagentorange.info/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/POL_Rig.29142942.pdf
Maps: Photos show where Herbicides were stored, mixed, and sprayed:

http://guamagentorange.info/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/POL_Sites_and_Herbicide.29143815.pdf
EPA Sites 26 & 27 Shows where where we got the empty barrels for our contaminated fuel and where they were disposed of:

http://guamagentorange.info/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/EPA_Sites_26_and_27_Andersen_AFB-.29145549.pdf

WEB SITES:

http://www.guamcancerresearch.org/Pages/Default.aspx

Here is some info from the web site:

http://guamagentorange.info/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/Guam_Cancer_Registry.25190811.pdf

Here is the form they use:

http://guamagentorange.info/yahoo_site_admin/assets/docs/Cancer_Registry_Health_Form.25192025.pdf