ktlight
13th July 2011, 08:22
FYI:
An independent California-based research institute says the US army has dumped hundreds of barrels of toxic chemicals, including Agent Orange, in South Korea.
In an interview with Press TV, the Korea Policy Institute (KPI) Executive Director Christine Ahn elaborated on the revelation and indicated rising popular calls in South Korea for a probe into the reports.
“Three months ago in May, three US soldiers came out on local TV news in Arizona, confessing that they had buried almost hundreds of barrels of Agent Orange at Camp Caroll, which is a US military base in the southeastern part of South Korea,” Ahn said.
“This is very explosive news and it sparked a major outcry from South Korean public for investigation into this,” she added.
The KPI official said investigations earlier conducted by the United States showed signs of soil and water contamination in the area, referring to a 1992 report by Woodward-Clyde and a report by Samsung C&T in 2004.
“Many potential sources of soil and groundwater contamination still exist at the base and the presence of contaminated groundwater has been documented,” the 1992 report said.
The Samsung report also confirmed soil samples from the base contained pesticides and dioxins -- a byproduct of Agent Orange.
“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,” it said.
The findings, Ahn said, has raised concerns among the South Korean public about the hazards of the ongoing US military presence in the country.
She said South Koreans are now calling for a review of a security agreement between Seoul and Washington, under which the US soldiers cannot be held liable for the environmental contamination.
Agent Orange is a deadly herbicide used by the United States during the Vietnam War in the 1970s to strip trees of foliage and to deprive Vietnamese forces of cover and food.
The US military sprayed an estimated 10 million gallons of Agent Orange on forests and rice fields in Vietnam, where some three million people are said to have suffered the effects of wartime herbicides.
The US also used the carcinogenic chemical in Korea, along the de-militarized zone, to defoliate the forests and prevent North Koreans from crossing the border.
source
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/188806.html
An independent California-based research institute says the US army has dumped hundreds of barrels of toxic chemicals, including Agent Orange, in South Korea.
In an interview with Press TV, the Korea Policy Institute (KPI) Executive Director Christine Ahn elaborated on the revelation and indicated rising popular calls in South Korea for a probe into the reports.
“Three months ago in May, three US soldiers came out on local TV news in Arizona, confessing that they had buried almost hundreds of barrels of Agent Orange at Camp Caroll, which is a US military base in the southeastern part of South Korea,” Ahn said.
“This is very explosive news and it sparked a major outcry from South Korean public for investigation into this,” she added.
The KPI official said investigations earlier conducted by the United States showed signs of soil and water contamination in the area, referring to a 1992 report by Woodward-Clyde and a report by Samsung C&T in 2004.
“Many potential sources of soil and groundwater contamination still exist at the base and the presence of contaminated groundwater has been documented,” the 1992 report said.
The Samsung report also confirmed soil samples from the base contained pesticides and dioxins -- a byproduct of Agent Orange.
“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,” it said.
The findings, Ahn said, has raised concerns among the South Korean public about the hazards of the ongoing US military presence in the country.
She said South Koreans are now calling for a review of a security agreement between Seoul and Washington, under which the US soldiers cannot be held liable for the environmental contamination.
Agent Orange is a deadly herbicide used by the United States during the Vietnam War in the 1970s to strip trees of foliage and to deprive Vietnamese forces of cover and food.
The US military sprayed an estimated 10 million gallons of Agent Orange on forests and rice fields in Vietnam, where some three million people are said to have suffered the effects of wartime herbicides.
The US also used the carcinogenic chemical in Korea, along the de-militarized zone, to defoliate the forests and prevent North Koreans from crossing the border.
source
http://www.presstv.ir/detail/188806.html