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In the past decade there has been slow but steady
progress to address the impacts of Agent Orange in Vietnam
by the US government.
2000 - Meeting between US and Vietnamese scientist
held in Singapore to explore the possibility of launching a
joint research program to study the human and environmental
health effects of Agent Orange and other herbicides used
during the Vietnam War.
2002 - US-Vietnam conference on Human Health and
Environmental Effects of Agent Orange/Dioxins held in Hanoi.
An MOU on Scientific cooperation was signed.
2002-2005 - US National Institute of Environmental
and Health Science (NIEHS) sends several delegations to
Vietnam and hosted Vietnamese scientists in the US to
negotiate a joint research project on the possible
relationship between Agent Orange and birth defects. The
research project was cancelled by NIEHS when both sides were
unable to reach agreement on the research protocols.
2003 - The first US-Viet Nam workshop on remediation
of dioxin was held. A second workshop on remediation
techniques was held in Hanoi in August 2005 co-sponsored by
the US Department of Defense and the Viet Nam Ministry of
Defense.
2005 - The US EPA, the Vietnam Ministry of Defense
and the Vietnam Academy of Science and Technology (VAST)
began a project to measure dioxin in soil at the Da Nang
airbase, the US also donated a gas chromatograph / mass
spectrometer (GC/MS) valued at $500,000 to VAST and provided
training to use the equipment.
2006 - The Joint Advisory Committee on Agent Orange
made up of US and Vietnamese government officials and
experts held its first meeting to explore areas of
scientific cooperation, technical assistance and
environmental remediation of dioxin hotspots. A second
meting was held in 2007, with the third meeting held in
September 2008.
November 2006 - President Bush and Vietnam’s
President Triet declared in their
Joint
Statement that “further joint efforts to address the
environmental contamination near former dioxin storage sites
would make a valuable contribution to the continued
development of their bilateral relations.”
May 2007 - US Congress allocated $3 million to
address remediation of dioxin hotspots in Vietnam and to
support public health programs in the surrounding
communities.
2008 -
USAID puts out a request for proposals for the first
installment of the congressional allocation for programs to
address the public health needs of those living around the
Da Nang Dioxin hotspot. Three US Non-governmental
organizations are awarded grants totaling $1 million.
2009:
- US Congress allocated an additional $3 million
address the impact of Agent Orange/Dioxin in Vietnam. In
September 2009 the fourth meeting of the Joint Advisory
Group was held in Hanoi agreeing to set up a health task
force to gather information on the adverse health effects of
dioxin in Viet Nam. USAID awards $1.69 million
contract for the dioxin work at the Da Nang airbase to
CDM International. Congress
allocated an additional $3 million to address the impacts of
Agent Orange in Vietnam in the FY2010 Foreign Operations
bill.
US Embassy Press Releases
Regarding Agent Orange
United States Government Provides
$1.69 Million to Prepare for Agent Orange/Dioxin Removal in
Danang October 1,
2009
U.S., Vietnam to Hold Fourth Joint
Advisory Meeting on Agent Orange/Dioxin
August 12, 2009
U.S. Officials Engage on Issues
Related to Agent Orange
Jun 5, 2009
United States Doubles Funding for
Environmental Health and Remediation in Vietnam
May 29, 2009
Press Conference: Agent Orange/Dioxin
Joint Advisory Committee Results September 16,
2008
Press
Conference by Deputy Secretary John D. Negroponte
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September 12, 2008
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