HANOI: Vietnam and the United States on Tuesday (Oct 18) launched the
second phase of a dioxin clean-up in Danang, where millions of litres
of Agent Orange were stored during the war between the former enemies.
The
US sprayed the defoliant over large swathes of southern jungle during
the Vietnam War to flush out Viet Cong guerrillas, and Vietnamese
victims' groups have long blamed the toxic residue for deformities and
disease.
Though Washington has disputed the link between dioxin
exposure and bad health, the US government has committed to help clean
up toxic land.
The countries, whose relations have warmed in
recent years, on Tuesday began treating 45,000 cubic metres of soil
contaminated with dioxin at Danang Airport, a task expected to be
finished by mid-2017.
"I am encouraged by how this project
continues to be a symbol of our honesty about the past, dealing with
what remains and turning an issue of contention into one of
collaboration," US ambassador Ted Osius said at the scene, according to a
statement.
The first phase of the clean-up, which also treated 45,000 cubic metres, was completed in May.
"The
long-term impact of the project will be the elimination of potential
health risks associated with dioxin exposure from the site," the US
embassy statement said.
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