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The U.S. government will give Vietnam $400,000 toward cleaning up a former U.S. military base contaminated by Agent Orange, its biggest step yet toward resolving one of the most contentious legacies of the Vietnam War, the U.S. envoy said Friday.
The money will be used to help pay for a $1 million study on how to remove dioxin from the soil at the former U.S. base in Danang, one of three Agent Orange hotspots recognized by the U.S. government. Dioxin is a highly toxic ingredient of Agent Orange, a herbicide U.S. forces used to strip away foliage from jungles during the Vietnam War. "I want to make clear that the United States government understands the concerns of the government of Vietnam and the Vietnamese people about the impact of dioxin on the environment and human health," U.S. envoy Michael Marine said. The grant marks an important symbolic step toward resolving an issue that has long divided the two former foes, whose relationship has grown steadily closer in recent years. Vietnam says 4 million people have suffered birth defects or other health effects from the chemical. The United States says more scientific evidence is needed to determine the link between Agent Orange and health.
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