The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Vietnamese Ministry of Defence on December 5 started a US$390-million dioxin clearance project for Bien Hoa Airport.
The United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Vietnamese Ministry of Defence on December 5 started a US$390-million dioxin clearance project for Bien Hoa Airport.
 |
Bien Hoa Airport in the southern province of Dong Nai is among Vietnamese locations hardest hit by dioxin.
The authorities identified almost 500,000 cubic metres of dioxin-contaminated soil and sediment in need of remediation – almost four times the volume of that found at Danang Airport.
Of the total investment for the project, US$183 million is sourced from the US’s non-refundable fund and the remainder are from the counterpart funds from Vietnam.
The Vietnamese Ministry of National Defence has handed over 37 hectares of the airport for USAID for the project implementation.
 |
| Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh speaks at the launching ceremny. |
At the project launch ceremony, Deputy Prime Minister Truong Hoa Binh instructed management agencies to actively participate in the project to ensure its safety and efficiency.
The project is expected to take around 10 years.
On this occasion, USAID has also signed with the National Action Centre for Toxic Chemicals and Environmental Treatment (NACCET) on a grant agreement worth USD65 million for supporting disabled people in eight Vietnamese provinces in the next five years.
USAID will help NACCET and Vietnamese organizations improve their capacity to implement and manage activities that will benefit millions of local people with improved rehabilitation, health and social services, as well as enforcement of disability regulations.
(Source: DTNews)
