Vietnam will need more than US$200 million to treat the 240,000 cubic metres of land and sediment contaminated with dioxin at Dong Nai province’s Bien Hoa airport by 2020.
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The National Steering Committee on Overcoming Consequences of Toxic Chemicals/Dioxin (Steering Committee 33), in coordination with the Dong Nai provincial People’s Committee, hosted an October 29 seminar on raising public awareness of Agent Orange (AO) exposure prevention.
According to the Committee, the most seriously contaminated areas include Binh Dinh province’s Phu Cat Airport, Danang City’s Danang Airport, and Bien Hoa Airport in Dong Nai.
Contaminated soil at Phu Cat Airport has received safe burial treatment while a decontamination project underway at Danang Airport is scheduled for completion by 2016.
At least four 25,000 litre AO and 2,500 litre toxic chemical spills from December 1969 to March 1970 exacerbated the dioxin contamination of approximately 25 hectares at Bien Hoa Airport.
The Defence Ministry has safely buried 94,000 cubic metres of affected soil and sediment. Around 240,000 cubic metres of land still need treating.
The Steering Committee 33 and the Defence Ministry distinguishes 17 levels of dioxin toxicity caused by 895 different types of dioxin-related compounds.
Le Ke Son, the Steering Committee 33 Office Director, said a US International Development Programme manager and representatives of the US Embassy in Vietnam have surveyed dioxin contamination at Bien Hoa Airport. A plan to evaluate the effects of AO/Dioxin on the environment and human health will be announced as soon as it is finalized.
(Source:VOV)
