DANANG, March 25, 2014 – The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Air Defense – Air Force Command of Vietnam’s Ministry of National Defense, working with the Danang Peoples’ Committee, today held a session to share information with community representatives about progress on the Environmental Remediation of Dioxin Contamination at Danang Airport Project, which was officially launched in August 2012 with approval of the Prime Minister.

“The Project remains on schedule and on target to complete the clean up in 2016,” said USAID Vietnam Mission Director Joakim Parker. “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.”

The containment and treatment structure is now full with 45,000 cubic meters of dioxin-contaminated soil and sediment. The first phase of remediation (heating) is planned to begin in April 2014. Approximately 95% of the dioxin will be destroyed within the structure.  Any remaining dioxin will be captured as liquid and vapor and treated in an adjacent secondary treatment system, which will be monitored to ensure that dioxin is not released into the air or nearby water. The second phase excavation will begin in 2014 with remediation to follow in late 2015 or early 2016.

Today’s session opened with remarks by Nguyen Ngoc Tuan, Danang Peoples’ Committee Vice Chairman, and Colonel Do Duy Kien, Head of Military Science Office, Air Force-Air Defense Command.  Attended by over 80 community representatives and Danang authorities, the presentations included an overview of the completed activities, the upcoming project schedule, and the oversight and environmental monitoring plans in place to ensure that all contamination stays on the Project site.  This session continues the long-running community engagement and information-sharing activities implemented throughout the life of the Project to keep the Danang Authorities and local communities surrounding the Airport informed about Project activities.

During their meeting at the White House last July, Vietnamese President Truong Tan Sang and U.S. President Barack Obama agreed that extensive cooperation in addressing war legacy issues to deepen mutual trust has allowed both countries to develop a relationship that looks to the future. The two leaders also expressed satisfaction with progress on the Project to clean up dioxin contamination at Danang International Airport.

For latest photos of the progress on the project site, visit: https://flic.kr/ps/L99vA