The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and Vietnam’s Ministry of National Defense will begin first phase of remediation of dioxin cleanup project in Vietnam’s central city of Danang in April. Roughly 95% of the dioxin would be destroyed within the containment and treatment structure of 45,000 cubic meters of dioxin-contaminated soil and sediment during the phase. The project which costs an estimated $84 million is expected to complete in 2016, USAID Vietnam Mission Director Joakim Parker said at a meeting on March 25. “This owes a great deal to the excellent cooperation among USAID and our Vietnamese Government partners, especially Vietnam’s Ministry of National Defense, its Air Defense – Air Force Command and Danang Peoples’ Committee,” Mr. Parker said. Tightened cooperation in solving war legacy issues is part of U.S. and Vietnam’s efforts to deepen the bilateral ties which were agreed by Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang and U.S. President Barack Obama during their meeting at the White House last July. This project marks Washington’s first involvement in cleaning up dioxin residue left in the Vietnam War. (Vietnam.usembassy.gov March 25)
