Agent Orange

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To all ASA'ers:

Ft. Devens Veterans:
Fort Devens became an EPA Superfund cleanup site in 1989 due to a
variety of toxic chemicals in the groundwater - our drinking water!

See: https://cumulis.epa.gov/supercpad/SiteProfiles/index.cfm?fuseaction=second.Cleanup&id=0100966#bkground
And: https://www.boston25news.com/news/cleanup-of-pfas-chemicals-in-drinking-water-underway-in-wells-near-fort-devens/931062190
Many other references can be found on the Internet.

Many of these chemicals are the kinds that stay in the body for decades, and can cause serious illnesses later in life, including Cancer (and Leukemia), thyroid problems, and other diseases. The PFOA, PFOS and related fluorocarbons that were in the water are particularly long-lived, and are known to be Thyroid disruptors that are associated with thyroid disease. Another chemical found in the water there was Trichloroethylene (TCE), which was commonly used as a solvent for cleaning parts - and a carcinogen.

The VA is currently accepting disability claims for thyroid disease; I do not know if they are currently paying this disability to any Ft. Devens veterans, but if you are having thyroid-related problems, ask your doctor if they could be related to fluorocarbon exposure during your service; a doctor's letter is the first step to a disability claim.

Those of us who worked on electrical and/or electro-mechanical equipment were exposed to TCE regularly, as well as it having been in the water at Ft. Devens. I've also heard of it having been used in motor pools. The VA IS currently paying disability for cancers that were likely caused by TCE exposure, BUT - so far, they are only accepting these claims from those that served at a handful of bases, such as Camp Pendleton and Camp Lejeune, not Ft. Devens. I have been informed that this is because the VA has not received many claim requests from other bases. But maybe that's because the DOD or VA didn't tell us about this issue. My suggestion, if you are suffering from ANY sort of cancer, including leukemia, ask your doctor if it could be related to toxic exposure while in the service. I suspect there are some who are ill because of toxic exposure at Ft. Devens, as there are among those exposed at other bases, and the VA needs to be prodded into stepping up and taking responsibility.

Tom Ford
Ft. Devens, 1962-63
tom@netspert.net


 

 

 

Diseases Associated with Agent Orange

Illnesses can qualify vets for VA disability and healthcare benefits

Many veterans who were grateful to have come home safe from the Vietnam War have since recognized just how badly they were wounded through toxic exposure. Agent Orange, the widely used herbicide containing dioxin, stayed with these service members and slowly ravaged their health. Decades later, these veterans are badly in need of disability and healthcare benefits, but the Veterans Administration still plays a game of delay and denial. At Marcari, Russotto, Spencer & Balaban, our attorneys are determined to see qualified veterans get the benefits they deserve.

Presumptive diseases for Agent Orange exposure

Presumptive diseases are those with a strong service connection to dioxin. The current list includes:

  • AL Amyloidosis
  • Chronic B-cell leukemia
  • Chloracne
  • Diabetes mellitus type 2
  • Hodgkin’s disease
  • Ischemic heart disease
  • Multiple myeloma
  • Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma
  • Parkinson’s disease
  • Peripheral neuropathy, early-onset
  • Porphyria cutanea tarda
  • Prostate cancer
  • Cancers of the lung, larynx, trachea, and bronchus
  • Soft-tissue sarcomas
  • Various cancers in body tissues

 

Agent Orange in Korea

Published on Friday, July 8, 2011 by Foreign Policy In Focus http://www.fpif.org/blog/with_surgical_implantation_jihadists_take_suicide_bombing_to_new_heights
Agent Orange in Korea
by Christine Ahn http://www.commondreams.org/christine-ahn and Gwyn Kirk http://www.commondreams.org/author/gwyn-kirk
In May, three former U.S. soldiers admitted to dumping hundreds of barrels of chemical substances, including Agent Orange, at Camp Carroll in South Korea in 1978. This explosive news was a harsh reminder to South Koreans of the high costs and lethal trail left behind by the ongoing U.S. military presence.
"We basically buried our garbage in their backyards," U.S. veteran Steve House told a local news station in Phoenix, Arizona. A heavy equipment operator in the Army, House said he was ordered to dig a ditch the length of a city block to bury 55-gallon drums marked with bright yellow and orange labels: "Province of Vietnam, Compound Orange." House said that the military buried 250 drums of defoliants stored on the base, which served then as the U.S. Army Material Support Center in Korea. Later they buried chemicals transported from other places on as many as 20 occasions, totaling up to 600 barrels.
"This stuff was just seeping through the barrels," said Robert Travis <http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/05/20/agent-orange-buried-in-s-korea-vets-say/>, another veteran now living in West Virginia. "There was a smell, I couldn't describe it, just sickly sweet." Immediately after wheeling the barrels from a warehouse at Camp Carroll, Travis developed a severe rash; other health problems emerged later <http://www.kpho.com/story/14906593/valley-veteran-blows-whistle-on-burial-of-agent-orange>. He said there were "approximately 250 drums, all OD (olive drab) green… with a stripe around the barrel dated 1967 for the Republic of Vietnam."
A third soldier, Richard Cramer http://www.kpho.com/story/14906593/valley-veteran-blows-whistle-on-burial-of-agent-orange of Illinois, said that his feet went numb as he buried barrels of Agent Orange at Camp Carroll. He spent two months in a military hospital and now has swollen ankles and toes, chronic arthritis, eye infections, and impaired hearing. "If we prove what they did was wrong,' says Cramer, "they should 'fess up and clean it up and take care of the people involved."
The three veterans are now seriously ill. Steve House http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/05/20/agent-orange-buried-in-s-korea-vets-say/ suffers from diabetes and neuropathy, two out of 15 diseases officially linked to Agent Orange. "This is a burden I've carried around for 35 years," House, aged 54, told Associated Press reporters. "I just recently found out that I have to have some major surgery… If I'm going to check out, I want to do it with a clean slate."
The Missing Barrels
A deadly herbicide, Agent Orange is widely known for its use during the Vietnam War when the U.S. military sprayed an estimated 10 million gallons on forests and rice fields. In Korea, the U.S. military used Agent Orange along the de-militarized zone to defoliate the forests and prevent North Koreans from crossing the border.
"The United States Army has acknowledged that pesticides, herbicides and other toxic compounds were buried at Camp Carroll," writes New York Times reporter Mark MacDonald <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/17/world/asia/17korea.html>. Although the chemicals and about 60 tons of contaminated soil were purportedly dug up and removed, "the Army is still searching its records to discover what became of the excavated chemicals and soil."
According to a February 25, 2011 report by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Far East Command, the U.S. military has discovered evidence of a burial site within Camp Carroll measuring 83 feet long, 46 feet wide, and 20 feet deep. It confirmed contamination on the base with high concentrations of highly carcinogenic perchloroethylene (PCE), pesticides, heavy metals, and components of dioxin. According to Hankyoreh <http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/484854.html>, the report also cites testimony from a Korean employee, Gu Ja-yeong, who worked at Camp Carroll and participated in burying drums, cans, and bottles containing chemicals in 1974 and 1975. The report recommends monitoring once or twice a year and removing the soil from the burial site because ground-water chloroform levels were 24 times the South Korean standard for drinkable water. Chloroform is a carcinogen that can cause liver, kidney, and nervous system problems.
Two earlier environmental studies of Camp Carroll, commissioned by U.S. Forces in Korea (USFK), were not shared with the South Korean government until the recent whistle-blowing by the U.S. vets. In 1992, a Woodward-Clyde report confirmed the burial of toxic chemicals. "Many potential sources of soil and groundwater contamination still exist at the base and the presence of contaminated groundwater has been documented," the report stated. "From 1979 to 1980, approximately 6,100 cubic feet (40 to 60 tons) of soil were reportedly excavated from this area and disposed offsite."
Samsung C&T reported on a second survey in 2004. This also found soil samples from the base contained pesticides and dioxins: "Hazardous materials and waste, including solvents, petroleum oils and lubricants, pesticides, herbicides and other industrial chemicals have been used and stored onsite for over 40 years." The Korea Herald http://www.koreaherald.com/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20110703000197 reported, "more than 100 kinds of harmful chemicals including pesticides and herbicides were buried." Hankyoreh http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/480748.html reported that the Samsung survey found "quantities of highly carcinogenic trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE) at 31 and 33 times the standard levels of potable water, respectively." The 2004 report estimated that it would cost $98.3 million to remove all the contaminated soil from Camp Carroll. Both the 1992 and 2004 reports state that a significant amount of soil had been excavated, but they differ as to when this actually happened. According to the Korea Times <http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2011/06/116_89509.html>, the 2004 report concluded, "The fate of the excavated drums is unknown".
So what happened to the buried chemicals?
Camp Carroll is located in Waegwan, about 20 miles north of Daegu. "If Agent Orange was dumped in 1978, the drums may have already eroded. And the toxic substance could have contaminated the soil and underground water near the area," said Chung In-cheol http://www.koreaherald.com/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20110520000670 of Green Korea United. "The U.S. camp is situated just 630 meters away from the Nakdong River," says Chung, "which is the water source for major cities like Daegu and Busan."
Cancer rates in the Chilgok area near Camp Carroll were up to 18.3 percent higher than the national average between 2005 and 2009, according to 'Statistics Koreas website <http://english.irib.ir/analysis/commentaries/item/74967-us-admits-dumping-dangerous-chemicals-in-s-korea?tmpl=component&print=1>, and mortality rates for nervous system diseases were above the national average.
Soil and Water Contamination
Environmental contamination on U.S. bases in South Korea has been a source of contention between Washington and Seoul. Since 2001, South Korea has spent $3.4 million http://www.stripes.com/news/u-s-bases-blamed-for-oil-tainted-groundwater-in-s-korea-1.146053 to clean up 2,000 tons of oil-contaminated ground water near Yongsan Army Garrison and Camp Kim. The South Korean military is now conducting environmental tests at 85 former U.S. bases that were returned to South Korean control between 1990 and 2003.
With the latest revelations, the South Korean public is calling for a full-scale assessment of the environmental damage of all U.S. military facilities in Korea. Under the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) http://www.stripes.com/news/u-s-bases-blamed-for-oil-tainted-groundwater-in-s-korea-1.146053 between the two nations, the United States has no responsibility to clean up the land it uses for bases. Some advocates are seeking a revision of the SOFA to hold Washington responsible for the contamination it causes.
After House spoke out, the USFK and the South Korean government assured the public that they would research his claims, though they disagreed about the method of investigation. The USFK preferred to use ground-penetrating radar (GPR) while the South Korean government insisted on sampling the soil and underground water. According to Hankyoreh <http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/480748.html>, GPR can test for foreign matter such as canisters containing harmful materials, but it cannot verify soil or water contamination. "The South Korean government has repeatedly stated that this kind of investigation is incapable of resolving the questions harbored by the population," said a Ministry of the Environment official.
The joint ROK-U.S. team is using ground-penetrating radar and electrical resistivity devices at 41 sites since the news broke in late May. According to a team official, the USFK is not just worried about dioxin, but other toxic and carcinogenic materials, which soil and water tests can detect. Indeed, investigation of an underground stream and groundwater near Camp Carroll has shown traces of PCE <http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/06/17/2011061700328.html>, a known carcinogen that attacks the nervous system and can cause reproduction problems. The Chilgok regional government sealed the well upon learning from the joint Korea-U.S. team that the amount of PCE exceeded the level for acceptable drinking water.
Lessons from Vietnam
Agent Orange contains the deadly chemical dioxin, a byproduct of industrial processes involving chlorine or bromine. Decades after its use in Vietnam, there is still great controversy about its effects on human and environmental health, despite the fact grandchildren of Vietnamese soldiers and civilians have been born with abnormalities attributable to their ancestors' exposure.
In 1995, Arnold Schecter and Le Cao Dai of the Vietnam Red Cross published research findings showing "that high levels of dioxin contamination persist in the blood, tissue, and breast milk of Vietnamese living in sprayed areas." Schecter tested soil and human tissue samples from people living near the former Bien Hoa U.S. military base where 7,500 gallons of Agent Orange were spilled in 1970.
In 1998, Hatfield Consultants published the results of a four-year study of soil and water samples in the A Luoi valley near the Ho Chi Minh trail and the site of three former U.S. Special Forces bases where Agent Orange was stored and sprayed. Working with Vietnamese scientists, Hatfield found "a consistent pattern of food chain contamination by Agent Orange dioxin… which included soil, fishpond sediment, cultured fish, ducks and humans." They found dioxin levels in some breast milk samples to be dozens of times higher than maximum levels recommended by the World Health Organization.
Although Vietnamese officials and scientists believe that many thousands of people are victims of Agent Orange, "remarkably little has been proved with scientific certainty," Robert Dreyfuss http://motherjones.com/politics/2000/01/apocalypse-still wrote in 2000. The Institute of Medicine http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2005/02/27/vietnamese_seeking_redress_from_us_in_agent_orange_suit/ reports "strong evidence that exposures to herbicides is associated with five serious diseases, including Hodgkin's disease and a form of leukemia… and 'suggestive' evidence that herbicides might cause birth defects and cancer." A major factor limiting serious research into dioxin contamination is the high costs. According to Dreyfuss, it cost $600 to $1000 to test one single soil or tissue sample for tiny traces of Agent Orange dioxin.
Since 1981, U.S. veterans of the Vietnam War who were exposed to dioxin have been entitled to register with the Veteran Administration's Agent Orange Registry. Of the nearly 3 million U.S. soldiers who served in Vietnam, approximately 300,000 veterans are on the list and entitled to free annual health exams. In a 2003 article in the San Francisco Chronicle <http://articles.sfgate.com/2003-04-21/news/17487148_1_dioxin-levels-defoliants-agent-orange>, David Perlman wrote that more than 22,000 vets have successfully claimed disability and are entitled to "free long-term treatment for a variety of disorders that are 'presumptively' caused by exposure to dioxin." Compensation has ranged from $104 to $2,193 a month.
U.S. veterans have attempted to sue the manufacturers of Agent Orange for compensation. In 1984, seven U.S. chemical companies agreed to settle a suit brought by U.S. veterans in 1979. In making this settlement, the companies refused to accept liability, claiming that the scientific evidence did not prove Agent Orange was responsible for the medical conditions alleged. By 1997, 291,000 U.S. veterans had received a total of $180 million dollars over a period of 12 years. "My brother was given $362, and me, I was given $60," recalls U.S. veteran George Johnson. "My brother has never been able to have kids."
South Korean veterans who served in the Vietnam War also attempted to sue Agent Orange manufacturers. In 2006, the Korea Times http://www.organicconsumers.org/monsanto/orange060216.cfm reported that the "Seoul High Court ruled that Dow Chemical and Monsanto should pay $63 billion won ($62 million) to a group of 6,700 Korean veterans… who first filed lawsuits against the company in 1999." However, this ruling is largely symbolic since the Korean authorities cannot force the companies to comply.
Why Act Now?
When asked why he came forward now, Steve House said, "I've wanted the government to take care of this nightmare I've had to live with for the last 30 years. I don't want to poison kids or anything, and I don't want to hurt GIs."
For House and other vets, also at issue is the question of medical compensation. According to the U.S. Veterans Affairs website <http://www.publichealth.va.gov/PUBLICHEALTH/exposures/agentorange/korea.asp>, "Veterans who served … in or near the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) anytime between April 1, 1968 and August 31, 1971 and who have a disease VA recognizes as associated with Agent Orange exposure are presumed to have been exposed to herbicides. These Veterans do not have to show they were exposed to Agent Orange to get disability compensation for these diseases." Veterans like House, however, who were exposed to Agent Orange after this time period, or in other parts of Korea outside of the DMZ, are not considered eligible for disability compensation.
Although more information is likely to emerge from the joint U.S.-R.O.K. investigation in the coming weeks, both the U.S. and Korean public must ask and demand answers to many urgent questions. What happened to the barrels of Agent Orange and contaminated soil at Camp Carroll? How much dioxin and other contaminants have leached into the soils surrounding Camp Carroll and other U.S. military bases? Will the U.S. government provide medical assistance and financial compensation to the veterans who handled a substance that was known to be toxic in 1978? Who will compensate the Korean people who may have been exposed to these contaminants - that the U.S. military knew of as far back as 1992, but never told the South Korean government
Based on the experience of thousands of U.S. vets and civilians who live around U.S. bases - in this country and overseas - even routine military operations can have serious long-term costs to human health and the environment. Without adequately addressing its toxic legacy in South Korea, the U.S. military continues to take fertile land to expand and create new bases, as it did in seizing rice paddies from farmers in Pyongtaek. The ROK-U.S. naval base now under construction on Jeju Island will have a devastating impact on the island's marine ecology, affecting fishermen and women sea divers who depend on the clean sea for their livelihood, and the Korean people who rely on the ocean for seafood. The blind rhetoric of national security must no longer trump human security, certainly not when the U.S. military isn't even willing to provide adequate medical care to its own veterans and protection to the Korean people they are purportedly in Korea to defend.
© 2011 Foreign Policy in Focus

Agent Orange used at Camp Humphreys

Dear fellow spooks of ASA Korea …   I am a member of ASA Korea, having been stationed at 177th ASA OC from April 1968 to May 1969. I also have served my VVA chapter as Agent Orange chairperson, and came across some info that I believe those who served anywhere in Korea in 1968 need to know: There is a good chance you were exposed to Agent Orange. DOD shipped many drums of AO to Korea in that period. Most of it was sprayed from jeep and dozer mounted sprayers, but not all. Some was put in back mounted Indian tanks for use in our ops compounds. It appears that no records were kept of exactly where it was used, who used it, or how much was used.    The VA is offering free exams--and it can get you into the system for health care--which I can no longer afford otherwise. Here is where you can find the info.    Agent Orange General Information Brochure - July 2003"Certain Vietnam-era veterans who served in Korea also can get the Agent OrangeRegistry examination. So can certain other veterans who were exposed to herbicideselsewhere.In September 2000, VA recognized that Agent Orange was used in Korea in the late 1960's and approved Agent Orange examinations for U.S. veterans who served in Korea in 1968 or 1969.VA took this action despite reports that Republic of Korea troops, not U.S. military personnel, did the actual spraying.In March 2001, Secretary Principi ordered that those examinations be made available to all other veterans who may have been exposed to dioxin or other toxic substances in a herbicide or defoliant during the conduct of or as the result of testing, transporting, or spraying of herbicides for military purposes."The following link will take you to a DOD listing which shows that A.O. was shipped to Korea in 1968. As if Nam , Korea , and Cambodia aren't bad enough, they sprayed the stuff all around the USA , including places where homes and farms are today… and A.O. is in the environment permanently.DoD Report on Herbicides Used Outside of Vietnam     I know for a fact that I sprayed some oily weed killer from an Indian tank for weed control at 177th ASA in the Ops area, summer of 1968. I think it was A.O. and the VA is treating me very kindly, even though I have no "compensable" conditions.    I think you can still set up an appointment and get the exam. It's worth looking into.Raymond Dix  ASA Korea Member mailto:a_link2search@msn.com

Agent Orange History

Under Operation Ranch Hand, the U.S. Air Force flew more than 6,000 spraying missions of Agent Orange on the forests of South Vietnam, Cambodia, and Laos between 1962 and 1971 making it part of the never-ending legacy of the Vietnam War. It is estimated that between 18 and 20 million gallons of herbicide were dumped on various targets.
Background
In 1961, when U.S. involvement in Vietnam was still limited to "advisory staff," South Vietnamese President Ngo Dinh Diem asked the U.S. to conduct a series of aerial herbicide sprayings to defoliate parts of the vast jungle where Vietcong strongholds were known to exist.
This request sparked a heated debate in Washington. On one side were those who believed herbicides to be "economical and efficient" in eliminating the hiding and ambush locations, and tainting the food supplies. Opposing voices declared that negative propaganda charging the U.S. with chemical warfare, as well as alienating the "friendlies," was not worth the risk.
By November of 1961, a compromise was reached, which allowed limited spraying on a mission-by-mission basis, and that the operation was to involve the South Vietnamese military.
Spraying began in January 1962 under the code name "Operation Hades." The code name, however, was seen as "PR-unfriendly" and was changed shortly thereafter to "Operation Ranch Hand."
The rainbow chemicals
Agent Orange was first developed at the University of Chicago during World War II. Professor E.J. Kraus identified a way to control the growth of plants by injecting them with hormones. Broadleaf vegetation was especially susceptible to sudden, rapid growth, which caused plant death.
Although it was the most widely used chemical in the war, Agent Orange was not the only herbicide available for the defoliation effort. As the name connotes, the rainbow chemicals included Agents White, Blue, Purple, Pink, Green, and "Super Orange." The color code was derived from the stripes on individual 55-gallon drums of each herbicide. In all, 15 different herbicides were tested.
Chemical composition
Kraus contacted Army scientists in the War Department when he found that heavy doses of 2,4-D¹ could be used to kill some forms of vegetation and might be of use in the war effort. The end of the war arrived before the scientists could confirm the claim.
The hormone theory was picked up by civilian scientists, and they developed a marketable product for controlling weeds along railroad rights of way and roadsides, as well as in private lawns.
The Army renewed their efforts to build on what they knew and found that combining 2,4-D with 2,4,5-T² made a deadly cocktail for the foliage. Unfortunately, what the scientists didn't know (or covered up) was that 2,4,5-T contained dioxin, a useless but deadly by-product of herbicide production. It was discovered to produce skin diseases and liver damage in both the Vietnamese population and U.S. veterans exposed to it.
Other combinations were found that were of varying effectiveness. Agent White was the second-most used herbicide in the spraying campaign. It contained, among other things, picloram, which may cause damage to the central nervous system, weakness, diarrhea, weight loss, and in the long term, liver damage. Agent Blue contained cacodylic acid, better known as arsenic.
Agent Orange and the rest of the herbicides were primarily delivered to their targets by the 309th Air Commando Squadron of C-123 "Providers" from Tan Son Nhut Air Base. The airplanes were rigged with spraying equipment that spread 1,000 gallons of herbicide in just a few minutes.

Agent Orange in Korea

Published on Friday, July 8, 2011 by Foreign Policy In Focus http://www.fpif.org/blog/with_surgical_implantation_jihadists_take_suicide_bombing_to_new_heights
Agent Orange in Korea
by Christine Ahn http://www.commondreams.org/christine-ahn and Gwyn Kirk http://www.commondreams.org/author/gwyn-kirk
In May, three former U.S. soldiers admitted to dumping hundreds of barrels of chemical substances, including Agent Orange, at Camp Carroll in South Korea in 1978. This explosive news was a harsh reminder to South Koreans of the high costs and lethal trail left behind by the ongoing U.S. military presence.
"We basically buried our garbage in their backyards," U.S. veteran Steve House told a local news station in Phoenix, Arizona. A heavy equipment operator in the Army, House said he was ordered to dig a ditch the length of a city block to bury 55-gallon drums marked with bright yellow and orange labels: "Province of Vietnam, Compound Orange." House said that the military buried 250 drums of defoliants stored on the base, which served then as the U.S. Army Material Support Center in Korea. Later they buried chemicals transported from other places on as many as 20 occasions, totaling up to 600 barrels.
"This stuff was just seeping through the barrels," said Robert Travis <http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/05/20/agent-orange-buried-in-s-korea-vets-say/>, another veteran now living in West Virginia. "There was a smell, I couldn't describe it, just sickly sweet." Immediately after wheeling the barrels from a warehouse at Camp Carroll, Travis developed a severe rash; other health problems emerged later <http://www.kpho.com/story/14906593/valley-veteran-blows-whistle-on-burial-of-agent-orange>. He said there were "approximately 250 drums, all OD (olive drab) green… with a stripe around the barrel dated 1967 for the Republic of Vietnam."
A third soldier, Richard Cramer http://www.kpho.com/story/14906593/valley-veteran-blows-whistle-on-burial-of-agent-orange of Illinois, said that his feet went numb as he buried barrels of Agent Orange at Camp Carroll. He spent two months in a military hospital and now has swollen ankles and toes, chronic arthritis, eye infections, and impaired hearing. "If we prove what they did was wrong,' says Cramer, "they should 'fess up and clean it up and take care of the people involved."
The three veterans are now seriously ill. Steve House http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2011/05/20/agent-orange-buried-in-s-korea-vets-say/ suffers from diabetes and neuropathy, two out of 15 diseases officially linked to Agent Orange. "This is a burden I've carried around for 35 years," House, aged 54, told Associated Press reporters. "I just recently found out that I have to have some major surgery… If I'm going to check out, I want to do it with a clean slate."
The Missing Barrels
A deadly herbicide, Agent Orange is widely known for its use during the Vietnam War when the U.S. military sprayed an estimated 10 million gallons on forests and rice fields. In Korea, the U.S. military used Agent Orange along the de-militarized zone to defoliate the forests and prevent North Koreans from crossing the border.
"The United States Army has acknowledged that pesticides, herbicides and other toxic compounds were buried at Camp Carroll," writes New York Times reporter Mark MacDonald <http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/17/world/asia/17korea.html>. Although the chemicals and about 60 tons of contaminated soil were purportedly dug up and removed, "the Army is still searching its records to discover what became of the excavated chemicals and soil."
According to a February 25, 2011 report by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Far East Command, the U.S. military has discovered evidence of a burial site within Camp Carroll measuring 83 feet long, 46 feet wide, and 20 feet deep. It confirmed contamination on the base with high concentrations of highly carcinogenic perchloroethylene (PCE), pesticides, heavy metals, and components of dioxin. According to Hankyoreh <http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/484854.html>, the report also cites testimony from a Korean employee, Gu Ja-yeong, who worked at Camp Carroll and participated in burying drums, cans, and bottles containing chemicals in 1974 and 1975. The report recommends monitoring once or twice a year and removing the soil from the burial site because ground-water chloroform levels were 24 times the South Korean standard for drinkable water. Chloroform is a carcinogen that can cause liver, kidney, and nervous system problems.
Two earlier environmental studies of Camp Carroll, commissioned by U.S. Forces in Korea (USFK), were not shared with the South Korean government until the recent whistle-blowing by the U.S. vets. In 1992, a Woodward-Clyde report confirmed the burial of toxic chemicals. "Many potential sources of soil and groundwater contamination still exist at the base and the presence of contaminated groundwater has been documented," the report stated. "From 1979 to 1980, approximately 6,100 cubic feet (40 to 60 tons) of soil were reportedly excavated from this area and disposed offsite."
Samsung C&T reported on a second survey in 2004. This also found soil samples from the base contained pesticides and dioxins: "Hazardous materials and waste, including solvents, petroleum oils and lubricants, pesticides, herbicides and other industrial chemicals have been used and stored onsite for over 40 years." The Korea Herald http://www.koreaherald.com/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20110703000197 reported, "more than 100 kinds of harmful chemicals including pesticides and herbicides were buried." Hankyoreh http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/480748.html reported that the Samsung survey found "quantities of highly carcinogenic trichloroethylene (TCE) and perchloroethylene (PCE) at 31 and 33 times the standard levels of potable water, respectively." The 2004 report estimated that it would cost $98.3 million to remove all the contaminated soil from Camp Carroll. Both the 1992 and 2004 reports state that a significant amount of soil had been excavated, but they differ as to when this actually happened. According to the Korea Times <http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/nation/2011/06/116_89509.html>, the 2004 report concluded, "The fate of the excavated drums is unknown".
So what happened to the buried chemicals?
Camp Carroll is located in Waegwan, about 20 miles north of Daegu. "If Agent Orange was dumped in 1978, the drums may have already eroded. And the toxic substance could have contaminated the soil and underground water near the area," said Chung In-cheol http://www.koreaherald.com/national/Detail.jsp?newsMLId=20110520000670 of Green Korea United. "The U.S. camp is situated just 630 meters away from the Nakdong River," says Chung, "which is the water source for major cities like Daegu and Busan."
Cancer rates in the Chilgok area near Camp Carroll were up to 18.3 percent higher than the national average between 2005 and 2009, according to 'Statistics Koreas website <http://english.irib.ir/analysis/commentaries/item/74967-us-admits-dumping-dangerous-chemicals-in-s-korea?tmpl=component&print=1>, and mortality rates for nervous system diseases were above the national average.
Soil and Water Contamination
Environmental contamination on U.S. bases in South Korea has been a source of contention between Washington and Seoul. Since 2001, South Korea has spent $3.4 million http://www.stripes.com/news/u-s-bases-blamed-for-oil-tainted-groundwater-in-s-korea-1.146053 to clean up 2,000 tons of oil-contaminated ground water near Yongsan Army Garrison and Camp Kim. The South Korean military is now conducting environmental tests at 85 former U.S. bases that were returned to South Korean control between 1990 and 2003.
With the latest revelations, the South Korean public is calling for a full-scale assessment of the environmental damage of all U.S. military facilities in Korea. Under the Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) http://www.stripes.com/news/u-s-bases-blamed-for-oil-tainted-groundwater-in-s-korea-1.146053 between the two nations, the United States has no responsibility to clean up the land it uses for bases. Some advocates are seeking a revision of the SOFA to hold Washington responsible for the contamination it causes.
After House spoke out, the USFK and the South Korean government assured the public that they would research his claims, though they disagreed about the method of investigation. The USFK preferred to use ground-penetrating radar (GPR) while the South Korean government insisted on sampling the soil and underground water. According to Hankyoreh <http://english.hani.co.kr/arti/english_edition/e_national/480748.html>, GPR can test for foreign matter such as canisters containing harmful materials, but it cannot verify soil or water contamination. "The South Korean government has repeatedly stated that this kind of investigation is incapable of resolving the questions harbored by the population," said a Ministry of the Environment official.
The joint ROK-U.S. team is using ground-penetrating radar and electrical resistivity devices at 41 sites since the news broke in late May. According to a team official, the USFK is not just worried about dioxin, but other toxic and carcinogenic materials, which soil and water tests can detect. Indeed, investigation of an underground stream and groundwater near Camp Carroll has shown traces of PCE <http://english.chosun.com/site/data/html_dir/2011/06/17/2011061700328.html>, a known carcinogen that attacks the nervous system and can cause reproduction problems. The Chilgok regional government sealed the well upon learning from the joint Korea-U.S. team that the amount of PCE exceeded the level for acceptable drinking water.
Lessons from Vietnam
Agent Orange contains the deadly chemical dioxin, a byproduct of industrial processes involving chlorine or bromine. Decades after its use in Vietnam, there is still great controversy about its effects on human and environmental health, despite the fact grandchildren of Vietnamese soldiers and civilians have been born with abnormalities attributable to their ancestors' exposure.
In 1995, Arnold Schecter and Le Cao Dai of the Vietnam Red Cross published research findings showing "that high levels of dioxin contamination persist in the blood, tissue, and breast milk of Vietnamese living in sprayed areas." Schecter tested soil and human tissue samples from people living near the former Bien Hoa U.S. military base where 7,500 gallons of Agent Orange were spilled in 1970.
In 1998, Hatfield Consultants published the results of a four-year study of soil and water samples in the A Luoi valley near the Ho Chi Minh trail and the site of three former U.S. Special Forces bases where Agent Orange was stored and sprayed. Working with Vietnamese scientists, Hatfield found "a consistent pattern of food chain contamination by Agent Orange dioxin… which included soil, fishpond sediment, cultured fish, ducks and humans." They found dioxin levels in some breast milk samples to be dozens of times higher than maximum levels recommended by the World Health Organization.
Although Vietnamese officials and scientists believe that many thousands of people are victims of Agent Orange, "remarkably little has been proved with scientific certainty," Robert Dreyfuss http://motherjones.com/politics/2000/01/apocalypse-still wrote in 2000. The Institute of Medicine http://www.boston.com/news/world/asia/articles/2005/02/27/vietnamese_seeking_redress_from_us_in_agent_orange_suit/ reports "strong evidence that exposures to herbicides is associated with five serious diseases, including Hodgkin's disease and a form of leukemia… and 'suggestive' evidence that herbicides might cause birth defects and cancer." A major factor limiting serious research into dioxin contamination is the high costs. According to Dreyfuss, it cost $600 to $1000 to test one single soil or tissue sample for tiny traces of Agent Orange dioxin.
Since 1981, U.S. veterans of the Vietnam War who were exposed to dioxin have been entitled to register with the Veteran Administration's Agent Orange Registry. Of the nearly 3 million U.S. soldiers who served in Vietnam, approximately 300,000 veterans are on the list and entitled to free annual health exams. In a 2003 article in the San Francisco Chronicle <http://articles.sfgate.com/2003-04-21/news/17487148_1_dioxin-levels-defoliants-agent-orange>, David Perlman wrote that more than 22,000 vets have successfully claimed disability and are entitled to "free long-term treatment for a variety of disorders that are 'presumptively' caused by exposure to dioxin." Compensation has ranged from $104 to $2,193 a month.
U.S. veterans have attempted to sue the manufacturers of Agent Orange for compensation. In 1984, seven U.S. chemical companies agreed to settle a suit brought by U.S. veterans in 1979. In making this settlement, the companies refused to accept liability, claiming that the scientific evidence did not prove Agent Orange was responsible for the medical conditions alleged. By 1997, 291,000 U.S. veterans had received a total of $180 million dollars over a period of 12 years. "My brother was given $362, and me, I was given $60," recalls U.S. veteran George Johnson. "My brother has never been able to have kids."
South Korean veterans who served in the Vietnam War also attempted to sue Agent Orange manufacturers. In 2006, the Korea Times http://www.organicconsumers.org/monsanto/orange060216.cfm reported that the "Seoul High Court ruled that Dow Chemical and Monsanto should pay $63 billion won ($62 million) to a group of 6,700 Korean veterans… who first filed lawsuits against the company in 1999." However, this ruling is largely symbolic since the Korean authorities cannot force the companies to comply.
Why Act Now?
When asked why he came forward now, Steve House said, "I've wanted the government to take care of this nightmare I've had to live with for the last 30 years. I don't want to poison kids or anything, and I don't want to hurt GIs."
For House and other vets, also at issue is the question of medical compensation. According to the U.S. Veterans Affairs website <http://www.publichealth.va.gov/PUBLICHEALTH/exposures/agentorange/korea.asp>, "Veterans who served … in or near the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ) anytime between April 1, 1968 and August 31, 1971 and who have a disease VA recognizes as associated with Agent Orange exposure are presumed to have been exposed to herbicides. These Veterans do not have to show they were exposed to Agent Orange to get disability compensation for these diseases." Veterans like House, however, who were exposed to Agent Orange after this time period, or in other parts of Korea outside of the DMZ, are not considered eligible for disability compensation.
Although more information is likely to emerge from the joint U.S.-R.O.K. investigation in the coming weeks, both the U.S. and Korean public must ask and demand answers to many urgent questions. What happened to the barrels of Agent Orange and contaminated soil at Camp Carroll? How much dioxin and other contaminants have leached into the soils surrounding Camp Carroll and other U.S. military bases? Will the U.S. government provide medical assistance and financial compensation to the veterans who handled a substance that was known to be toxic in 1978? Who will compensate the Korean people who may have been exposed to these contaminants - that the U.S. military knew of as far back as 1992, but never told the South Korean government
Based on the experience of thousands of U.S. vets and civilians who live around U.S. bases - in this country and overseas - even routine military operations can have serious long-term costs to human health and the environment. Without adequately addressing its toxic legacy in South Korea, the U.S. military continues to take fertile land to expand and create new bases, as it did in seizing rice paddies from farmers in Pyongtaek. The ROK-U.S. naval base now under construction on Jeju Island will have a devastating impact on the island's marine ecology, affecting fishermen and women sea divers who depend on the clean sea for their livelihood, and the Korean people who rely on the ocean for seafood. The blind rhetoric of national security must no longer trump human security, certainly not when the U.S. military isn't even willing to provide adequate medical care to its own veterans and protection to the Korean people they are purportedly in Korea to defend.
© 2011 Foreign Policy in Focus

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