U.S. Agent Orange/Dioxin Assistance to Vietnam
Abstract
U.S. assistance to Vietnam for the environmental and health damage attributed to a dioxin contained in Agent Orange and other herbicides sprayed over much of the southern portion of the country during the Vietnam War remains a significant bilateral issue. Between fiscal years (FY) 2007 and 2021, Congress appropriated nearly $390 million to address these two issues. This includes $60 million in Department of Defense funds transferred to the Secretary of State, for use by the U.S. Agency for International Development, for the dioxin clean-up at the Bien Hoa airbase. Most of the appropriated funds have been used by USAID for the environmental remediation of Danang airport, one of the major airbases used for storing and spraying the herbicides between 1961 and 1971. Following completion of the Danang project in 2017, the environmental remediation funds have been obligated for preparatory work on the Bien Hoa airbase. A lesser amount of the appropriated funds have been used by USAID for assistance to Vietnams persons with disabilities, generally, but not always, in the vicinity of Danang or other dioxin-contaminated areas. Congressional interest in Agent Orange/dioxin in Vietnam has largely been focused on two issues. The first issue is determining the appropriate amount and type of assistance to provide to address the environmental damage and the health effects of dioxin contamination in Vietnam. The second issue is oversight of how such assistance has been utilized by the State Department and USAID. In November 2017, the United States and Vietnam completed the environmental remediation of approximately 90,000 cubic meters (118,000 cubic yards) of contaminated soil and 60,000 cubic meters (78,000 cubic yards) of lower risk materials at Danang airport by a process known as in-pile thermal desorption (IPTD). Restoration and project closure operations were completed in November 2018.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Feb 10, 2021
- Accession Number
- AD1171946
Entities
People
- Michael F. Martin
Organizations
- Library of Congress