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Thursday, April 30, 2015
Monday, April 27, 2015
Popular pesticide hurts wild bees in major field study
http://www.sfgate.com/news/science/article/Popular-pesticide-hurts-wild-bees-in-major-field-6216746.php?cmpid=email-tablet
WASHINGTON (AP) — A common type of pesticide is dramatically harming wild bees, according to a new in-the-field study that outside experts say may help shift the way the U.S. government looks at a controversial class of chemicals.
But in the study published by the journal Nature on Wednesday, honeybees — which get trucked from place to place to pollinate major crops like almonds— didn't show the significant ill effects that wild cousins like bumblebees did. This is a finding some experts found surprising. A second study published in the same journal showed that in lab tests bees are not repelled by the pesticides and in fact may even prefer pesticide coated crops, making the problem worse.
Bees of all kinds — crucial to pollinating plants, including major agricultural crops — have been in decline for several reasons. Pesticide problems are just one of many problems facing pollinators; this is separate from colony collapse disorder, which devastated honeybee populations in recent years but is now abating, experts said.
Exposure to neonicotinoid insecticides reduced the density of wild bees, resulted in less reproduction, and colonies that didn't grow when compared to bees not exposed to the pesticide, the study found.
Scientists in Sweden were able to conduct a study that was in the wild, but still had the in-the-lab qualities of having control groups that researchers covet. They used 16 patches of landscape, eight where canola seeds were coated with the pesticide and eight where they weren't, and compared the two areas.
When the first results came in, "I was quite, 'Oh my God,'" said study lead author Maj Rundlof of Lund University. She said the reduction in bee health was "much more dramatic than I ever expected."
MORE
WASHINGTON (AP) — A common type of pesticide is dramatically harming wild bees, according to a new in-the-field study that outside experts say may help shift the way the U.S. government looks at a controversial class of chemicals.
But in the study published by the journal Nature on Wednesday, honeybees — which get trucked from place to place to pollinate major crops like almonds— didn't show the significant ill effects that wild cousins like bumblebees did. This is a finding some experts found surprising. A second study published in the same journal showed that in lab tests bees are not repelled by the pesticides and in fact may even prefer pesticide coated crops, making the problem worse.
Bees of all kinds — crucial to pollinating plants, including major agricultural crops — have been in decline for several reasons. Pesticide problems are just one of many problems facing pollinators; this is separate from colony collapse disorder, which devastated honeybee populations in recent years but is now abating, experts said.
Exposure to neonicotinoid insecticides reduced the density of wild bees, resulted in less reproduction, and colonies that didn't grow when compared to bees not exposed to the pesticide, the study found.
Scientists in Sweden were able to conduct a study that was in the wild, but still had the in-the-lab qualities of having control groups that researchers covet. They used 16 patches of landscape, eight where canola seeds were coated with the pesticide and eight where they weren't, and compared the two areas.
When the first results came in, "I was quite, 'Oh my God,'" said study lead author Maj Rundlof of Lund University. She said the reduction in bee health was "much more dramatic than I ever expected."
MORE
Chemical weapons: the devastating effect of their use throughout history
http://www.theupcoming.co.uk/2015/04/22/chemical-weapons-the-devastating-effect-of-their-use-throughout-history/
This Wednesday marks the 100th anniversary of the first large-scale implementation of chemical weapons (CW) in warfare. On Thursday 22nd
April 1915, near the Belgian town of Ypres close to the French border,
German forces released a deadly greenish fog into the air – chlorine gas
– and watched as it dissipated, caught the wind and drifted silently
towards Allied soldiers.
Chlorine
gas was only one of around 50 different such weapons to be used by
troops during the First World War. One of the most popular and most
shocking was mustard gas, which affected not only the respiratory tract,
but skin, too.
Photographs of
soldiers suffering from the devastating effects of mustard gas – a
“blister agent”- can be easily found, and make for extremely distressing
viewing. In one example, a soldier is bolstered up in bed by two
nurses, his eyes shut tight with pain, his skin marked by large, bulbous
blisters.
In John Singer Sargent’s 1919 painting Gassed
a line of nine soldiers blinded during a mustard gas attack walk
single-file, aided by two others, while around them other affected men
lie bandaged and incapacitated.
Chemical
warfare was used by all sides during World War One and is estimated to
have caused 90,000 deaths, as well as more than a million casualties
between 1915 and 1918. By the end of the war, 125,000 tons of chemical
weapons had been expended.
Despite
the horror caused by CWs during the First World War, and contrary to the
terms of the Geneva Protocol of 1925, which prohibited their use in
international warfare, many countries continued to deploy them in the
succeeding years.
Although they were
scarcely used in Europe during the Second World War, their terrible
efficacy was exploited by the Japanese in China during the Second
Sino-Japanese war (1937-1945), primarily against prisoners of war and
civilians.
According to the website
for the Royal Society of Chemistry, since 1945 over 50,000 Japanese
chemical weapons have been found scattered across 90 sites in China and
have “reportedly caused 2000 injuries and even a few fatalities”.
This
last example demonstrates one of the most significantly harmful
characteristics of chemical weapons: the long-term damage to victims.
CWs have a sustained effect upon the human body and these effects can
even be passed on across generations.
Between 1961 and 1971, at the height of the Vietnam War, US forces used a cocktail of herbicides known as Agent Orange to defoliate areas of the country in order to expose North Vietnamese and Vietcong forces.
The
harmful effects of these chemicals have since been strongly felt by US
veterans of the war and members of the Vietnamese population. Among the
illnesses now considered to have been caused by exposure to Agent Orange
are Leukemia, Non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma and prostate cancer.
Whilst acknowledging the damage done to US veterans by Agent Orange,
the US government has failed to accept responsibility for the prolonged
effects of the operation on the Vietnamese people, whose claims have
since been supported by independent investigations.
MORE
'We were just children': Yarmouth resident wonders about Agent Orange effects from time in Gagetown
http://www.thevanguard.ca/News/Local/2015-04-22/article-4120587/We-were-just-children%3A-Yarmouth-resident-wonders-about-Agent-Orange-effects/1
Gehue was at CFB Gagetown in the 1960s with his father, who was a member of the military. While they were there Agent Orange, a toxic herbicide, was sprayed. It was sprayed by the US military, with Canadian permission, in 1966 and 1967.
“They were going around doing chemical sprays, near the tree lines. When we were kids, when they used to spray the insecticides, we used to run behind the trucks when they were spraying that stuff,” Gehue says. “Nobody told us not to.”
He says they’d play in the fields and when they came home they’d have this dust on the bottom of their pants.
“Mom used to say, ‘Get that off you before you come in the house,’” he recalls, so they’d brush it off with their hands. “It was a dust, orange. You used to have it all over your hands. Nobody told us we weren’t allowed to play in that stuff.”
Fast forward by decades.
Gehue suffers from many ailments and conditions – he’s got lung issues, heart problems, diabetes, etc. And he can’t wonder if some of it – maybe all of it – is linked to his exposure to Agent Orange.
He suspects it played a role in his father’s death.
“My father was in the army for 25-and-a-half years. When he got out he died three years later.”
He was just 47.
“When we moved out of there, we moved to Yarmouth, and in the 1970s we’d hear about Agent Orange and the stuff it does,” Gehue says. “When you turn 40 and 45 and everything starts breaking down . . . you start to wonder.”
He doesn’t know for certain that his health conditions are linked to Agent Orange. But he suspects they are. Many symptoms, he claims, match up.
MORE
Gehue was at CFB Gagetown in the 1960s with his father, who was a member of the military. While they were there Agent Orange, a toxic herbicide, was sprayed. It was sprayed by the US military, with Canadian permission, in 1966 and 1967.
“They were going around doing chemical sprays, near the tree lines. When we were kids, when they used to spray the insecticides, we used to run behind the trucks when they were spraying that stuff,” Gehue says. “Nobody told us not to.”
He says they’d play in the fields and when they came home they’d have this dust on the bottom of their pants.
“Mom used to say, ‘Get that off you before you come in the house,’” he recalls, so they’d brush it off with their hands. “It was a dust, orange. You used to have it all over your hands. Nobody told us we weren’t allowed to play in that stuff.”
Fast forward by decades.
Gehue suffers from many ailments and conditions – he’s got lung issues, heart problems, diabetes, etc. And he can’t wonder if some of it – maybe all of it – is linked to his exposure to Agent Orange.
He suspects it played a role in his father’s death.
“My father was in the army for 25-and-a-half years. When he got out he died three years later.”
He was just 47.
“When we moved out of there, we moved to Yarmouth, and in the 1970s we’d hear about Agent Orange and the stuff it does,” Gehue says. “When you turn 40 and 45 and everything starts breaking down . . . you start to wonder.”
He doesn’t know for certain that his health conditions are linked to Agent Orange. But he suspects they are. Many symptoms, he claims, match up.
MORE
Legacy of Agent Orange
http://widerimage.reuters.com/story/legacy-of-agent-orange
As April 30 approaches, marking 40 years since the end
of the Vietnam War, people in Vietnam with severe mental and physical
disabilities still feel the lingering effects of Agent Orange.
Respiratory cancer and birth defects amongst
both Vietnamese and U.S. veterans have been linked to exposure to the
defoliant. The U.S. military sprayed millions of gallons of Agent Orange
onto Vietnam's jungles during the conflict to expose northern communist
troops.
Reuters photographer Damir Sagolj travelled through Vietnam to meet the people affected, four decades on.
MORE
Coalition Challenges Expansion of Hazardous Herbicide Containing Agent Orange Ingredient EPA Allows Nine Additional States to Use Toxic 2,4-D on GE Corn, Soy Crops
http://www.biologicaldiversity.org/news/press_releases/2015/enlist-duo-04-20-2015.html
SAN FRANCISCO— A coalition of conservation, food-safety and public-health groups filed a motion today challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to expand the use of “Enlist Duo” on genetically engineered corn and soy crops to nine additional states: Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma and North Dakota.
Earthjustice and Center for Food Safety filed the coalition motion — building on the coalition’s earlier challenge of Enlist Duo, which already includes six midwestern states where EPA previously approved the herbicide’s use on GE corn and soy crops — in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
The groups are challenging the EPA’s decision to allow the use of Enlist Duo in 15 Midwest states because of the serious impacts the powerful new herbicide cocktail, which combines glyphosate and 2,4-D, will have on farmworkers, neighboring farms, and ground and surface water, as well as endangered species. For instance, 2,4-D, a component of the infamous Agent Orange, has been linked to serious illnesses like Parkinson’s disease, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and reproductive problems. The EPA’s analyses also demonstrate plainly that the herbicide may affect endangered species like the whooping crane, Louisiana black bear and Indiana bat through consumption of prey contaminated with the toxic chemical.
“Big chemical is profiting over dumping more and more toxins in our air, water and bodies and killing our endangered wildlife,” said Earthjustice attorney Paul Achitoff. “Instead of being an environmental watchdog, the EPA is playing lapdog and allowing this deadly herbicide to be sprayed on millions of acres without adequate impact assessment. We filed our motion so we can finally stop the cycle of more and more pesticides with less and less oversight.”
MORE
SAN FRANCISCO— A coalition of conservation, food-safety and public-health groups filed a motion today challenging the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency’s decision to expand the use of “Enlist Duo” on genetically engineered corn and soy crops to nine additional states: Arkansas, Kansas, Louisiana, Minnesota, Missouri, Mississippi, Nebraska, Oklahoma and North Dakota.
Earthjustice and Center for Food Safety filed the coalition motion — building on the coalition’s earlier challenge of Enlist Duo, which already includes six midwestern states where EPA previously approved the herbicide’s use on GE corn and soy crops — in the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
The groups are challenging the EPA’s decision to allow the use of Enlist Duo in 15 Midwest states because of the serious impacts the powerful new herbicide cocktail, which combines glyphosate and 2,4-D, will have on farmworkers, neighboring farms, and ground and surface water, as well as endangered species. For instance, 2,4-D, a component of the infamous Agent Orange, has been linked to serious illnesses like Parkinson’s disease, non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma and reproductive problems. The EPA’s analyses also demonstrate plainly that the herbicide may affect endangered species like the whooping crane, Louisiana black bear and Indiana bat through consumption of prey contaminated with the toxic chemical.
“Big chemical is profiting over dumping more and more toxins in our air, water and bodies and killing our endangered wildlife,” said Earthjustice attorney Paul Achitoff. “Instead of being an environmental watchdog, the EPA is playing lapdog and allowing this deadly herbicide to be sprayed on millions of acres without adequate impact assessment. We filed our motion so we can finally stop the cycle of more and more pesticides with less and less oversight.”
MORE
Tuesday, April 21, 2015
Federal Agency to Present Results of Camp Lejeune Historic Drinking Water Health Studies at Public Meetings
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/sites/lejeune/index.html
U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina was established in 1942. In 1982, the Marine Corps discovered specific volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the drinking water provided by two of the eight water treatment plants on base.
U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina was established in 1942. In 1982, the Marine Corps discovered specific volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in the drinking water provided by two of the eight water treatment plants on base.
The
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) invites the
public to hear from the authors of a group of health studies that have
been conducted to understand the impact of past exposure to contaminated
drinking water at U.S. Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.
The authors will discuss the study results during a public meeting and
Community Assistance Panel meeting that will take place in Greensboro,
NC on May 12-13, 2015. The authors will also be available to address questions about the studies and their results during the public meeting.
For more information about the health studies and other work done by ATSDR at Camp Lejeune, please visit http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/
For
members of the public who wish to attend in person, the public meeting
and Community Assistance Panel meeting will be held at:
Embassy Suites Greensboro-Airport Hotel
204 Centreport Drive
204 Centreport Drive
Greensboro, North Carolina 27409
Public Meeting: May 12, 2015 6:00 PM - 9:00 PM
Community Assistance Panel Meeting: May 13, 2015 9:00 AM - 2:30 PM
For
those not able to attend in person, a live stream of the meetings will
be available for viewing online. Details about the live stream will be
available at http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/
High concentration of dioxin found at waste treatment plants
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/environment/128102/high-concentration-of-dioxin-found-at-waste-treatment-plants.html
VietNamNet Bridge - Scientists have for the first time rung the alarm over the high dioxin concentration in emissions and waste water in waste treatment plant areas.
A number of waste treatment plants have been found with having much higher dioxin concentrations than the permitted level. One plant had a concentration higher by 5,000 times more.
The conclusion was made by scientists conducting research under a project on settling dioxin in heavily polluted areas in Vietnam presided over by the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment’s (MONRE) Office 33, in charge of coordinating activities to remedy consequences from Agent Orange (dioxin).
“Vietnam has for the first time admitted that besides the dioxin originating from the war, there is also dioxin generated during industrial production activities,” said Dr. Le Ke Son, the project’s director.
Son said that industrial waste and medical waste incinerators were the largest sources of dioxin.
The high content of dioxin and dioxin-related compounds (DRCs), measured in TEQs (toxic equivalents), have been found in exhaust fumes and waste water from waste water treatment plants.
In Hanoi, the researchers took three emission samples from an industrial incinerator and four samples from an industrial and medical incinerator. Three out of the seven samples had DRCs higher than the permitted level stipulated in QCVN 30:2012, the standard set by MONRE.
One sample showed the highest TEQ of 9800 pg/Nm3, or 16 times higher than the permitted level (600 pg/Nm3).
In HCM City, one sample showed the TEQ close to the permitted level and another was higher by five times than the permitted level.
In Hai Duong province, two of the three samples were found as having a TEQ tens of times higher than the permitted level.
The waste water samples at the waste treatment plants have also been found as having overly high DRCs.
Vietnam still does not have national standards on DRCs in waste water. However, when referring to the Japanese standard - 10 pg/Nm3 – the researchers found that two of the five waste water samples in Hanoi had DRC concentration higher by five and 23 times.
A waste water sample in Hai Duong Province contained DRCs higher by 129 times than the permitted level, while a sample in HCM City had 5,000 times.
Scientists say dioxin can have a major impact on human health via air and food.
Dioxin is one of the most toxic compounds discovered. Dioxin created by industrial processes is less toxic than the dioxin used during wartime.
VietNamNet Bridge - Scientists have for the first time rung the alarm over the high dioxin concentration in emissions and waste water in waste treatment plant areas.
A number of waste treatment plants have been found with having much higher dioxin concentrations than the permitted level. One plant had a concentration higher by 5,000 times more.
The conclusion was made by scientists conducting research under a project on settling dioxin in heavily polluted areas in Vietnam presided over by the Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment’s (MONRE) Office 33, in charge of coordinating activities to remedy consequences from Agent Orange (dioxin).
“Vietnam has for the first time admitted that besides the dioxin originating from the war, there is also dioxin generated during industrial production activities,” said Dr. Le Ke Son, the project’s director.
Son said that industrial waste and medical waste incinerators were the largest sources of dioxin.
The high content of dioxin and dioxin-related compounds (DRCs), measured in TEQs (toxic equivalents), have been found in exhaust fumes and waste water from waste water treatment plants.
In Hanoi, the researchers took three emission samples from an industrial incinerator and four samples from an industrial and medical incinerator. Three out of the seven samples had DRCs higher than the permitted level stipulated in QCVN 30:2012, the standard set by MONRE.
One sample showed the highest TEQ of 9800 pg/Nm3, or 16 times higher than the permitted level (600 pg/Nm3).
In HCM City, one sample showed the TEQ close to the permitted level and another was higher by five times than the permitted level.
In Hai Duong province, two of the three samples were found as having a TEQ tens of times higher than the permitted level.
The waste water samples at the waste treatment plants have also been found as having overly high DRCs.
Vietnam still does not have national standards on DRCs in waste water. However, when referring to the Japanese standard - 10 pg/Nm3 – the researchers found that two of the five waste water samples in Hanoi had DRC concentration higher by five and 23 times.
A waste water sample in Hai Duong Province contained DRCs higher by 129 times than the permitted level, while a sample in HCM City had 5,000 times.
Scientists say dioxin can have a major impact on human health via air and food.
Dioxin is one of the most toxic compounds discovered. Dioxin created by industrial processes is less toxic than the dioxin used during wartime.
Thursday, April 16, 2015
Wednesday, April 15, 2015
Senators Moran and Blumenthal, Representatives Benishek and Honda Introduce New Toxic Exposure Research Act of 2015
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Monsanto, the Producer of “Agent Orange” brings GMO Agriculture to Vietnam
http://www.globalresearch.ca/monsanto-the-producer-of-agent-orange-brings-gmo-agriculture-to-vietnam/5442817
In November last year, Brian Leung, a Southeast Asia-based journalist, observed:
Ferreira said that with advanced technologies, it is possible to develop agriculture sustainably by using the same or less water and nitrogen and achieve greater yields. The technologies were not named. No reference was made to the Vietnamese government’s 2006 plan (see Leung) to develop GM crops as part of a “major program for the development and application of biotechnology in agriculture and rural development.”
In August 2014, it was announced that cultivation of the country’s first GM crops will be underway by 2015 and 30-50% of farmland covered with genetically modified organisms by 2020. The country’s agriculture ministry approved the imports of four corn varieties engineered for food and animal feed processing: MON 89034 and NK 603, products of DeKalb Vietnam (a subsidiary of U.S. multinational Monsanto), and GA 21 and MIR 162 from the Swiss firm Syngenta. The Vietnamese environment ministry has to date issued bio-safety certificates for Monsanto’s MON 89034 and NK 603 corn varieties and Syngenta’s GA 21, meaning farmers can start commercially cultivating the crops. The ministry is considering issuing a similar certificate for the other variety, MR 162.
MORE
In November last year, Brian Leung, a Southeast Asia-based journalist, observed:
“Vietnam continues to roll out the red carpet for foreign biotech giants, including the infamous Monsanto, to sell the controversial genetically modified (GM) corn varieties in the country. Jeffrey Smith and other critics say that by welcoming Monsanto, Vietnam has been too nice to the main manufacturer of Agent Orange, the toxic defoliant used during the Vietnam War that left a devastating legacy still claiming victims today.”Just Means, an online publisher of news about corporate social responsibility, sustainability, energy, health, education, technology and innovation, added an update:
Monsanto sees a large potential in Vietnam as a main market for the company, and plans to increase its investments in the country in the future. Juan Ferreira, vice president of Monsanto said that the country has a combination of good soil, good governance, and appetite for investment, which paves the way for the entry of advanced technologies.No mention of GM by name – but plenty of enabling activity.
Ferreira said that with advanced technologies, it is possible to develop agriculture sustainably by using the same or less water and nitrogen and achieve greater yields. The technologies were not named. No reference was made to the Vietnamese government’s 2006 plan (see Leung) to develop GM crops as part of a “major program for the development and application of biotechnology in agriculture and rural development.”
In August 2014, it was announced that cultivation of the country’s first GM crops will be underway by 2015 and 30-50% of farmland covered with genetically modified organisms by 2020. The country’s agriculture ministry approved the imports of four corn varieties engineered for food and animal feed processing: MON 89034 and NK 603, products of DeKalb Vietnam (a subsidiary of U.S. multinational Monsanto), and GA 21 and MIR 162 from the Swiss firm Syngenta. The Vietnamese environment ministry has to date issued bio-safety certificates for Monsanto’s MON 89034 and NK 603 corn varieties and Syngenta’s GA 21, meaning farmers can start commercially cultivating the crops. The ministry is considering issuing a similar certificate for the other variety, MR 162.
MORE
Belgian writer-director seeks justice for Vietnamese AO victims
http://english.vietnamnet.vn/fms/art-entertainment/128099/belgian-writer-director-seeks-justice-for-vietnamese-ao-victims.html
“Lien in Me Linh or War and its crimes”
by Belgian writer-director Jean Marc Turine recounted 1961 to 1972 when
the US army dumped over 80 million litres of defoliant, mostly the
highly toxic Agent Orange/dioxin, over a quarter of the area in southern
Vietnam, marking the largest-ever chemical warfare in history that has
since devastated generations of Vietnamese, the environment and
ecological system alike.
The main character is Lien, 18, an AO victim living in the outlying district of Me Linh. Her father was exposed to AO/dioxin while fighting in the central – Central Highlands battlefields, then transmitted the toxin to her.
Confined to a wheelchair at home, Lien faces physical and spiritual agony from fits of convulsions. Her dream of going to school will never come true.
Jean-Marc Turine said through the film, he wants to criticise the irresponsibility of the US government and chemical producers Monsanto and Dow Chemical which denied compensation for Vietnamese sufferers.
Through the voices of victims and witnesses, he aims to awaken European citizens to the painful after-effects of AO and spread a message of compassion and support for victims with practical actions.
The film was screened ahead of the April 16 court date in the French city of Evry, a case lodged by Vietnamese-French Tran To Nga to seek justice for Vietnamese AO victims.
The main character is Lien, 18, an AO victim living in the outlying district of Me Linh. Her father was exposed to AO/dioxin while fighting in the central – Central Highlands battlefields, then transmitted the toxin to her.
Confined to a wheelchair at home, Lien faces physical and spiritual agony from fits of convulsions. Her dream of going to school will never come true.
Jean-Marc Turine said through the film, he wants to criticise the irresponsibility of the US government and chemical producers Monsanto and Dow Chemical which denied compensation for Vietnamese sufferers.
Through the voices of victims and witnesses, he aims to awaken European citizens to the painful after-effects of AO and spread a message of compassion and support for victims with practical actions.
The film was screened ahead of the April 16 court date in the French city of Evry, a case lodged by Vietnamese-French Tran To Nga to seek justice for Vietnamese AO victims.
Federal agency to present results of Camp Lejeune health studies at public meetings
(Atlanta)--
The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) invites
the public to hear from the authors of a group of health studies
conducted to understand the impact
of exposure to contaminated drinking water at U.S. Marine Corps Base
Camp Lejeune in North Carolina. The authors will discuss the study
results during a public meeting at 6:00 p.m. on May 12, 2015. The authors also will answer questions about the studies
and their results. The quarterly Community Assistance Panel (CAP) meeting will take place at 9:00 a.m. on May 13; that meeting is also open to the public. Both meetings will take place in Greensboro, North Carolina.
ATSDR has published several studies that
describe the extent of the drinking water contamination at Camp
Lejeune. These studies have linked exposures to the drinking water with a
number of diseases and health conditions, including multiple cancers,
preterm births, and neural tube defects. U.S.
Marine Corps and Navy personnel, their families, and civilian employees
who worked at the base participated in the studies.
Both meetings will be held at:
Embassy Suites Greensboro-Airport Hotel
204 Centreport Drive
Greensboro, North Carolina 27409
www.embassysuitesgreensboro.
204 Centreport Drive
Greensboro, North Carolina 27409
www.embassysuitesgreensboro.
Public Meeting: May 12, 2015; 6:00 p.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Community Assistance Panel Meeting: May 13, 2015; 9:00 a.m. – 2:30 p.m.
Background: The contamination of drinking water at Camp Lejeune started in the early 1950s and ended in 1985 when highly contaminated
water wells were removed from service. The water was contaminated with tetrachloroethylene
(PCE), trichloroethylene (TCE), benzene, 1,2-dichloroethylene (DCE) and
vinyl chloride. Benzene and TCE are known human
carcinogens, and PCE is considered a likely human carcinogen. A
privately owned dry cleaner next to Camp Lejeune as well as base
activities that released fuel and chlorinated solvents into the
environment were identified as the sources of the contamination.
For meeting updates and more information about the health studies and other work done by ATSDR at Camp Lejeune, visit
http://www.atsdr.cdc.gov/Tuesday, April 14, 2015
French court to hear first hearing in AO victim's suit
A local court in Evry, France will hear a lawsuit from an
Agent Orange victim on April 16, according to the Viet Nam Association
for Victims of Agent Orange (VAVA).
The victim, Tran To Nga, sued US chemical manufacturers on
June 11, 2014, said Senior Lieutenant-General Nguyen Van Rinh, VAVA
president.
In her complaint, Nga, 73, sued 26 companies for providing toxic chemical weapons used by US forces in Viet Nam during the American War.
"At present, 12 US chemical companies have hired lawyers to defend themselves in court," Rinh said at a press conference yesterday in Ha Noi. "If the court requires victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin to testify, we will be there to act as witnesses."
"If the court returns a verdict, the companies will have to bear legal responsibility. I'm convinced that justice shall prevail. Whether the victory is won inside the court or through an agreement outside court, it will provide a basis for future lawsuits."
Nga was a correspondent for Viet Nam News Agency during the war. She reported in areas densely sprayed with Agent Orange, including Cu Chi (HCM City), Binh Long District, Binh Phuoc Province and the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
Nga had three children. Her eldest child died of congenital heart defects when she was 17 months old, and her second daughter inherited the blood disorder (alpha thalassemia) from her. The youngest daughter contracted a skin disease. According to VAVA, Nga pursued the suits to seek justice for her family and other victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin. Previously, she provided witness testimony at an International People's Tribunal of Conscience.
Nga also testified at a public trial in Paris in 2009 against the US chemical companies. In 2014, she and Paris-based law firm William Bourdon&Forestier acted as a joint plaintiff and filed her suit. The petition and related files were forwarded to the court in Evry and the companies.
Also on this occasion, VAVA asked the Evry court to complete related documents and procedures quickly for the sake of the plaintiff, Nga. The organization also asked lawyers to speak from the bottom of their hearts for justice for Agent Orange victims.
"They are the most miserable among the miserable people and the poorest among the poor people," Rinh said.
There are more than 3 million victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin, according to the Government.
In her complaint, Nga, 73, sued 26 companies for providing toxic chemical weapons used by US forces in Viet Nam during the American War.
"At present, 12 US chemical companies have hired lawyers to defend themselves in court," Rinh said at a press conference yesterday in Ha Noi. "If the court requires victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin to testify, we will be there to act as witnesses."
"If the court returns a verdict, the companies will have to bear legal responsibility. I'm convinced that justice shall prevail. Whether the victory is won inside the court or through an agreement outside court, it will provide a basis for future lawsuits."
Nga was a correspondent for Viet Nam News Agency during the war. She reported in areas densely sprayed with Agent Orange, including Cu Chi (HCM City), Binh Long District, Binh Phuoc Province and the Ho Chi Minh Trail.
Nga had three children. Her eldest child died of congenital heart defects when she was 17 months old, and her second daughter inherited the blood disorder (alpha thalassemia) from her. The youngest daughter contracted a skin disease. According to VAVA, Nga pursued the suits to seek justice for her family and other victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin. Previously, she provided witness testimony at an International People's Tribunal of Conscience.
Nga also testified at a public trial in Paris in 2009 against the US chemical companies. In 2014, she and Paris-based law firm William Bourdon&Forestier acted as a joint plaintiff and filed her suit. The petition and related files were forwarded to the court in Evry and the companies.
Also on this occasion, VAVA asked the Evry court to complete related documents and procedures quickly for the sake of the plaintiff, Nga. The organization also asked lawyers to speak from the bottom of their hearts for justice for Agent Orange victims.
"They are the most miserable among the miserable people and the poorest among the poor people," Rinh said.
There are more than 3 million victims of Agent Orange/Dioxin, according to the Government.
Veterans Health Administration Update: Military Exposures
Servicemembers
who were stationed at Fort McClellan between 1929 and 1971 may have
been exposed to low levels of radioactive compounds, chemical warfare
agents, and airborne hazards.
Learn more about Fort McClellan.
http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/fort-mcclellan/
Fort McClellan was an Army installation in Alabama that opened in 1917.
Some members of the U.S. Army Chemical Corp School, Army Combat Development Command Chemical/Biological/Radiological Agency, Army Military Police School and Women's Army Corps, among others, may have been exposed to one or more of several hazardous materials, likely at low levels, during their service at Fort McClellan. Potential exposures could have included, but are not limited to, the following:
http://www.publichealth.va.gov/exposures/fort-mcclellan/
Fort McClellan was an Army installation in Alabama that opened in 1917.
Some members of the U.S. Army Chemical Corp School, Army Combat Development Command Chemical/Biological/Radiological Agency, Army Military Police School and Women's Army Corps, among others, may have been exposed to one or more of several hazardous materials, likely at low levels, during their service at Fort McClellan. Potential exposures could have included, but are not limited to, the following:
- Radioactive compounds (cesium-137 and cobalt-60) used in decontamination training activities in isolated locations on base.
- Chemical warfare agents (mustard gas and nerve agents) used in decontamination testing activities in isolated locations on base.
- Airborne polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) from the Monsanto plant in the neighboring town.
Study finds large dioxin emissions from Vietnam's waste treatment plants
http://www.thanhniennews.com/health/study-finds-large-dioxin-emissions-from-vietnams-waste-treatment-plants-40949.html
Many incinerators that burn industrial and medical waste in Vietnam
are discharging dangerous amounts of dioxin, some at 5,000 times the
safe limit, according to a new research.
Le Ke Son, the lead researcher and a former official at the
environment ministry, said the report is the first time “Vietnam admits
that there’s dioxin discharged from industrial activities besides from
dioxin left from the war.”
The research was conducted by
Steering Committee 33, a national committee set up to mitigate the
effects of toxic chemicals used by the US during the Vietnam War, and
the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment.
Dioxin, one of the most toxic and persistent compounds which can
leave impacts including cancer through generations, can be inhaled or
digested.
Environmental group Greenpeace has said it is the most toxic
manmade chemical ever identified. Researchers said dioxin in sewage
sludge can easily be absorbed into food through soil and water.
Incinerators are responsible for
most of the dioxin discharged in Vietnam, the research has
revealed, based on the amount of dioxin and dioxin-related compounds
(DRCs) measured in their emissions and sewage sludge.
Vietnam has not developed technologies to recycle and treat waste properly and mostly burns all of its garbage together.
The research team took 18
emission samples from medical, urban and industrial incinerators and all
of them contained dioxin or DRCs, with seven exceeding the safe limit.
Threats of violence from veterans groups derail Vietnam War event
http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/685986.html
They’re going around the whole country trying to make us look like butchers of innocent people.” “It looks like those [censored] found out that we were gathering and moved somewhere else.”
On the afternoon of Apr. 7, about 300 members of the Korean Victims of Agent Orange Veterans Association (KAOVA) held a demonstration across from Jogye Buddhist Temple in central Seoul and shouted invectives over a loudspeaker. The group had promised to physically prevent a reception for a photo exhibition that was going to be attended by survivors of civilian massacres by South Korean troops during the Vietnam War. The members of the group hung up banners in the area that said, “Are you going to insult Vietnam veterans who were victims of Agent Orange and turn Viet Cong into innocent victims of massacres?” and played military songs such as “Here Come the Tigers” and “Sergeant Kim’s Return from Vietnam.” “Our grandsons and granddaughters thought their grandfathers were heroes in the Vietnam War. What are they going to think if they hear that we were massacring innocent civilians?” members of KAOVA shouted. Some of the members came very close to a clash with the police that had been dispatched to the scene. The Peace Museum had invited two victims of civilian massacres during the Vietnam War to attend a reception for a photo exhibition. The reception was supposed to take place at Jogye Buddhist Temple on the evening of Apr. 7. However, the event fell through after the Jogye Order of Buddhism cancelled the reservation of the space, fearing a backlash from the veteran groups. “Considering that no progress has been made in the 15 years that have passed since the issue of massacres of Vietnamese civilians by South Korean soldiers was made public, I’m not surprised. Still, this is disappointing,” said Seok Mi-hwa, secretary general for the Peace Museum.MORE
They’re going around the whole country trying to make us look like butchers of innocent people.” “It looks like those [censored] found out that we were gathering and moved somewhere else.”
On the afternoon of Apr. 7, about 300 members of the Korean Victims of Agent Orange Veterans Association (KAOVA) held a demonstration across from Jogye Buddhist Temple in central Seoul and shouted invectives over a loudspeaker. The group had promised to physically prevent a reception for a photo exhibition that was going to be attended by survivors of civilian massacres by South Korean troops during the Vietnam War. The members of the group hung up banners in the area that said, “Are you going to insult Vietnam veterans who were victims of Agent Orange and turn Viet Cong into innocent victims of massacres?” and played military songs such as “Here Come the Tigers” and “Sergeant Kim’s Return from Vietnam.” “Our grandsons and granddaughters thought their grandfathers were heroes in the Vietnam War. What are they going to think if they hear that we were massacring innocent civilians?” members of KAOVA shouted. Some of the members came very close to a clash with the police that had been dispatched to the scene. The Peace Museum had invited two victims of civilian massacres during the Vietnam War to attend a reception for a photo exhibition. The reception was supposed to take place at Jogye Buddhist Temple on the evening of Apr. 7. However, the event fell through after the Jogye Order of Buddhism cancelled the reservation of the space, fearing a backlash from the veteran groups. “Considering that no progress has been made in the 15 years that have passed since the issue of massacres of Vietnamese civilians by South Korean soldiers was made public, I’m not surprised. Still, this is disappointing,” said Seok Mi-hwa, secretary general for the Peace Museum.MORE
Vietnam veteran files class-action suit against VA over claims backlog
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2015/04/07/vietnam-veteran-files-class-action-suit-against-va-over-claims-backlog/
A Vietnam veteran reportedly filed a class-action lawsuit on
Monday looking to force the Department of Veteran Affairs to fast-track a
massive backlog of benefits claims appeals.
According to The New York Times, the case by lead plaintiff Conley Monk Jr. is the first class-action suit in the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. The claims in question include his own.
The veteran has waited years for disability benefits from the VA for claims of post-traumatic stress disorder and exposure to toxic chemicals. Monk is a Marine Corps veteran from Connecticut who said he came under fire during the Vietnam War and was exposed to the herbicide and defoliant Agent Orange -- used by the United States military during the war and sometimes associated with PTSD and diabetes, which Monk was diagnosed with in 2011.
Monk reportedly applied for disability from the VA, and was denied. He appealed in 2013.
“It’s frustrating to be stuck in limbo,” Monk, 66, told the New York Times. “It’s been hard to make ends meet. And we Vietnam veterans are getting older. We can’t wait forever.”
The high number of benefits claims at the VA began rising in 2009, driven by claims from veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. It peaked in 2013 with more than 600,000 claims, according to the Times.
According to The New York Times, the case by lead plaintiff Conley Monk Jr. is the first class-action suit in the U.S. Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims. The claims in question include his own.
The veteran has waited years for disability benefits from the VA for claims of post-traumatic stress disorder and exposure to toxic chemicals. Monk is a Marine Corps veteran from Connecticut who said he came under fire during the Vietnam War and was exposed to the herbicide and defoliant Agent Orange -- used by the United States military during the war and sometimes associated with PTSD and diabetes, which Monk was diagnosed with in 2011.
Monk reportedly applied for disability from the VA, and was denied. He appealed in 2013.
“It’s frustrating to be stuck in limbo,” Monk, 66, told the New York Times. “It’s been hard to make ends meet. And we Vietnam veterans are getting older. We can’t wait forever.”
The high number of benefits claims at the VA began rising in 2009, driven by claims from veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan. It peaked in 2013 with more than 600,000 claims, according to the Times.
Defence offers help with Agent Orange claim
http://www.waateanews.com/waateanews?story_id=OTI2OA==
The Defence Force has offered the Waitangi Tribunal use of its bases as well as other help for the inquiry into the treatment of Maori veterans of past wars.
The inquiry will be the first to under the tribunal's new kaupapa claim framework.
Because claimants will no longer be able to get the funding from the Crown Forest Rental Trust that has oiled the wheels of the historical claims process, the crown will need to find new ways to cover the costs of research and hearings.
In a memorandum sent to the tribunal last Friday, Crown Law said oral evidence hearings need to start as soon as possible, because of the age of the claimants and many of the witnesses.
It said as well as providing venues and catering for the hearings, Defence may provide transport for veterans to get to the hearings.
It also offered help researching the service records of veterans held in Defence Archives, and to commission the Defence Force historian to bring together evidence on topics like exposure of veterans to nuclear radiation or Agent Orange.
The Crown says it won’t cross examine veterans or their spouses in the oral evidence hearings, but if necessary would seek to contradict any evidence through written questions, or through its own submissions and evidence in the main hearings.
The Defence Force has offered the Waitangi Tribunal use of its bases as well as other help for the inquiry into the treatment of Maori veterans of past wars.
The inquiry will be the first to under the tribunal's new kaupapa claim framework.
Because claimants will no longer be able to get the funding from the Crown Forest Rental Trust that has oiled the wheels of the historical claims process, the crown will need to find new ways to cover the costs of research and hearings.
In a memorandum sent to the tribunal last Friday, Crown Law said oral evidence hearings need to start as soon as possible, because of the age of the claimants and many of the witnesses.
It said as well as providing venues and catering for the hearings, Defence may provide transport for veterans to get to the hearings.
It also offered help researching the service records of veterans held in Defence Archives, and to commission the Defence Force historian to bring together evidence on topics like exposure of veterans to nuclear radiation or Agent Orange.
The Crown says it won’t cross examine veterans or their spouses in the oral evidence hearings, but if necessary would seek to contradict any evidence through written questions, or through its own submissions and evidence in the main hearings.
Monday, April 6, 2015
Vietnam diseases spreading to vets’ children
http://www.capjournal.com/news/vietnam-diseases-spreading-to-vets-children/article_ca2398c4-d693-11e4-aed7-5fa5d34768db.html
“I got married in ’77. We had a child; four years later, he died,” said Joe Keller of Redfield.
His next two children were all right, but now that they’re having children of their own, his grandchildren are beginning to have problems. One was born with webbed fingers, he said.
“I got married in ’77. We had a child; four years later, he died,” said Joe Keller of Redfield.
His next two children were all right, but now that they’re having children of their own, his grandchildren are beginning to have problems. One was born with webbed fingers, he said.
David Kloucek of Tabor cited similar problems.
“My wife and I have nine
children. Well, all five of our daughters had dysplasia. They had to
have all or part of their female organs removed. Our grandchildren have
epilepsy, one of them. No idea where that traces back to. Skin cancer on
one of my boys when he was in high school. Tourette’s on one of the
boys,” he said.
Several Vietnam veterans from
South Dakota spoke up Saturday afternoon as they gathered at the state
capital for a homecoming weekend. One of the events was a forum on Agent
Orange, and these vets described various birth defects their children —
and even their grandchildren — have suffered.
The list is endless, and
heartbreaking. A girl who was born without any valves in her bladder. A
boy who breaks out in a rash every four months. Autism. Cancer.
Miscarriage. Stillborn. A grandson born without a thyroid. A woman,
fully grown and healthy all her life — until one of her kidneys stopped
working.
Agent Orange was a defoliant used
liberally during the Vietnam War. American soldiers were exposed to it,
and years later, they began developing serious health problems.
And now, their children are
beginning to develop health problems, too, said Jack Kempter, president
of the Vietnam Veterans of America, Chapter 1054 in Waubay.
Kempter has had two operations
for cancer, both of them caused by Agent Orange. Now research has shown
that the contamination may last for five or more generations — meaning
great-grandchildren could be affected.
The same is likely true of every soldier who went to Vietnam.
“If you were boots on the ground in Vietnam, you were exposed to Agent Orange,” he said.
But that’s not all. People who
served on Navy ships may also have been exposed if the ship docked in
Vietnam. Or if the ship was just off the coast, since the ships took on
sea water which may have been tainted. The equipment to desalinate the
water did not remove the Agent Orange.
Maynard Kaderlik, of the Vietnam Veterans of America Minnesota State Council, put it simply.
“There’s a lot of veterans who
don’t know that what happened to them — Agent Orange — is happening to
their kids and grandkids. We want to educate them,” he said.
MORE
The Road to Ruin is Paved with Gold: Buy Monsanto - Drinking Poison, Kissing Butterflies, and Making Money
http://www.wealthdaily.com/articles/the-road-to-ruin-is-paved-with-gold-buy-monsanto-nyse-mon/6031
I have a love and hate relationship with GMOs.
On one hand I LOVE inventions of things like seedless oranges and watermelons. I'm still waiting on an avocado shrub I could grow in a bay window, though (wink wink) I know it's coming!
On the flip side, I hate some of the health risks associated with spraying Agent Orange on all of our food... or the practice of strong-arming farmers into unbreakable contracts and eradicating heirloom vegetables.
Love, hate. It's a constant struggle. So I try hard to ignore it.
In fact, I try really hard to live in denial.
You were born that way Cookie Crisp! I know it!
Now, I can't tell what is worse, the bad publicity Monsanto (NYSE: MON) gets – we all know GMOs and pesticides are NOT natural and potentially potentially harmful – or how it insists on shoving its foot so deep in its mouth that it's popping out the other end.
Case in point:
A few days ago, the W.H.O. released a report that suggested glyphosate, which is an ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup Ready cocktail, “probably causes cancer.”
This wasn't the decision of one guy.
There were seventeen impartial scientists from around the world involved. They were all studying the same compound. And their vote was unanimous. IT PROBABLY CAUSES CANCER.
If seventeen auto mechanics looked at my car and said, “it'll start but once you put it in gear and get on the highway, your brakes won't work at all”, I'd think twice before getting on 95 in rush hour.
But I digress...
This decision puts glyphosate on the W.H.O.'s list with other known dangers. Things like cigarettes... asbestos... and working the late shift at a 24-7 Zips.
Am I surprised by this new label? Um, no.
It was initially put on it back in the '80s, after studies first revealed that “IT PROBABLY CAUSES CANCER.”
After all, the product was first introduced in the Vietnam War under the name Agent Orange. A chemical compound that is still directly tied to many birth defects in the nation.
But my point isn't whether or not Roundup is a cancer causing substance. Hell, I had no idea that it was off the list – or that they kept a special list – in the first place.
And really, with my diet, I'm too deep, too all-in, to really do anything about it now.
I know life isn't a confessional where you say you're sorry, change your ways and are forgiven. If it's going to get me, it's already in the system.
So screw it. Enjoy the ride.
My point is this could have been swept under the rug if Monsanto did absolutely nothing. If it only ignored the paper, we wouldn't be any wiser.
I mean, I don't read the latest W.H.O. reports. They don't show up with my Arbutus Times or Wall Street Journal in the morning. I don't make looking for the newest boring scientific paper a part of my morning routine.
And odds are that you don't either, unless it's your job.
So all they had to do was ignore the W.H.O.'s report.
But could they?! Of course not.
MORE
I have a love and hate relationship with GMOs.
On one hand I LOVE inventions of things like seedless oranges and watermelons. I'm still waiting on an avocado shrub I could grow in a bay window, though (wink wink) I know it's coming!
On the flip side, I hate some of the health risks associated with spraying Agent Orange on all of our food... or the practice of strong-arming farmers into unbreakable contracts and eradicating heirloom vegetables.
Love, hate. It's a constant struggle. So I try hard to ignore it.
In fact, I try really hard to live in denial.
You were born that way Cookie Crisp! I know it!
Now, I can't tell what is worse, the bad publicity Monsanto (NYSE: MON) gets – we all know GMOs and pesticides are NOT natural and potentially potentially harmful – or how it insists on shoving its foot so deep in its mouth that it's popping out the other end.
Case in point:
A few days ago, the W.H.O. released a report that suggested glyphosate, which is an ingredient in Monsanto's Roundup Ready cocktail, “probably causes cancer.”
This wasn't the decision of one guy.
There were seventeen impartial scientists from around the world involved. They were all studying the same compound. And their vote was unanimous. IT PROBABLY CAUSES CANCER.
If seventeen auto mechanics looked at my car and said, “it'll start but once you put it in gear and get on the highway, your brakes won't work at all”, I'd think twice before getting on 95 in rush hour.
But I digress...
This decision puts glyphosate on the W.H.O.'s list with other known dangers. Things like cigarettes... asbestos... and working the late shift at a 24-7 Zips.
Am I surprised by this new label? Um, no.
It was initially put on it back in the '80s, after studies first revealed that “IT PROBABLY CAUSES CANCER.”
After all, the product was first introduced in the Vietnam War under the name Agent Orange. A chemical compound that is still directly tied to many birth defects in the nation.
But my point isn't whether or not Roundup is a cancer causing substance. Hell, I had no idea that it was off the list – or that they kept a special list – in the first place.
And really, with my diet, I'm too deep, too all-in, to really do anything about it now.
I know life isn't a confessional where you say you're sorry, change your ways and are forgiven. If it's going to get me, it's already in the system.
So screw it. Enjoy the ride.
My point is this could have been swept under the rug if Monsanto did absolutely nothing. If it only ignored the paper, we wouldn't be any wiser.
I mean, I don't read the latest W.H.O. reports. They don't show up with my Arbutus Times or Wall Street Journal in the morning. I don't make looking for the newest boring scientific paper a part of my morning routine.
And odds are that you don't either, unless it's your job.
So all they had to do was ignore the W.H.O.'s report.
But could they?! Of course not.
MORE
The deadly, horrible mess we made still plagues Indochina
http://www.modbee.com/opinion/opn-columns-blogs/community-columns/article17237951.html
April 30, 2015, marks the 40th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War. As we reflect on the legacies of the Vietnam War, two of the most deadly weapons of war left behind – Agent Orange and unexploded ordnance, called UXO – continue to haunt Indochina.
April 30, 1975, was the day Saigon was taken over by the Viet Cong, following the departure of the United States.
During the war, the U.S. military had used the powerful herbicide and defoliant Agent Orange to spray along the Ho Chi Minh trails in Laos and South Vietnam. Its purpose was to clear away jungle and eliminate Viet Cong hideouts, disrupting the movement of soldiers and food supplies. Years after the war, the people along the trail continue to suffer health maladies and dire consequences, including dioxin poisoning. The Vietnamese government says that dioxin levels remain 100 times higher than the international standards in some of these areas.
The Vietnamese government estimates that there are over 4 million victims of dioxin poisoning, “although the United States government denies any conclusive scientific links between Agent Orange and the Vietnamese victims of dioxin poisoning.”
The Vietnamese Red Cross estimated Agent Orange has affected 3 million people spanning three generations, including at least 150,000 children born with severe birth defects since the war ended.
In August 2012, the U.S. pledged $43 million to fund a joint project with Vietnam to clean up contaminated areas. Though areas of Agent Orange contamination include part of the Ho Chi Minh trail in southern Laos, the joint project between the U.S. and Vietnam does not include Laos. Moreover, the project is only the first small step, as more funds and technical assistance are needed to slowly clean contaminated areas.
It will take generations and billions of dollars to clean the contaminated regions. The willingness and commitment of the United States government to fund this project by providing assistance to victims of Agent Orange and removing UXO is long overdue. Hopefully the U.S. government will provide more funding to clear UXO in Laos and Cambodia as well.
April 30, 2015, marks the 40th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam War. As we reflect on the legacies of the Vietnam War, two of the most deadly weapons of war left behind – Agent Orange and unexploded ordnance, called UXO – continue to haunt Indochina.
April 30, 1975, was the day Saigon was taken over by the Viet Cong, following the departure of the United States.
During the war, the U.S. military had used the powerful herbicide and defoliant Agent Orange to spray along the Ho Chi Minh trails in Laos and South Vietnam. Its purpose was to clear away jungle and eliminate Viet Cong hideouts, disrupting the movement of soldiers and food supplies. Years after the war, the people along the trail continue to suffer health maladies and dire consequences, including dioxin poisoning. The Vietnamese government says that dioxin levels remain 100 times higher than the international standards in some of these areas.
The Vietnamese government estimates that there are over 4 million victims of dioxin poisoning, “although the United States government denies any conclusive scientific links between Agent Orange and the Vietnamese victims of dioxin poisoning.”
The Vietnamese Red Cross estimated Agent Orange has affected 3 million people spanning three generations, including at least 150,000 children born with severe birth defects since the war ended.
In August 2012, the U.S. pledged $43 million to fund a joint project with Vietnam to clean up contaminated areas. Though areas of Agent Orange contamination include part of the Ho Chi Minh trail in southern Laos, the joint project between the U.S. and Vietnam does not include Laos. Moreover, the project is only the first small step, as more funds and technical assistance are needed to slowly clean contaminated areas.
It will take generations and billions of dollars to clean the contaminated regions. The willingness and commitment of the United States government to fund this project by providing assistance to victims of Agent Orange and removing UXO is long overdue. Hopefully the U.S. government will provide more funding to clear UXO in Laos and Cambodia as well.
North Dakota Agent Orange Relief
http://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Legislature-tally-299-of-853-bills-introduced-6179987.php
Sen. Richard Marcellais, D-Belcourt, has been donning his orange blazer and matching loafers to bring attention to the need for more funding to Vietnam veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange.
Marcellais, a Vietnam veteran, says there are about 15,000 other Vietnam veterans living in North Dakota, and many of them may have been exposed to the defoliant that was sprayed over the jungle from U.S. planes from 1962 to 1971 to strip away cover for the North Vietnamese.
Marcellais is the prime sponsor of a bill that would provide funding to help identify and provide services Vietnam veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange.
The bill originally asked for $100,000 in funding over the next two years. The House cut the sum to $50,000, while the Senate wants $75,000.
The final amount is slated to be negotiated by both chambers this week.
Sen. Richard Marcellais, D-Belcourt, has been donning his orange blazer and matching loafers to bring attention to the need for more funding to Vietnam veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange.
Marcellais, a Vietnam veteran, says there are about 15,000 other Vietnam veterans living in North Dakota, and many of them may have been exposed to the defoliant that was sprayed over the jungle from U.S. planes from 1962 to 1971 to strip away cover for the North Vietnamese.
Marcellais is the prime sponsor of a bill that would provide funding to help identify and provide services Vietnam veterans who were exposed to Agent Orange.
The bill originally asked for $100,000 in funding over the next two years. The House cut the sum to $50,000, while the Senate wants $75,000.
The final amount is slated to be negotiated by both chambers this week.
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