(VOVworld) - US Ambassador Ted Osius and Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh, Vietnam’s Deputy Minister of National Defense, announced on Tuesday the successful treatment of dioxin-contaminated soil at Da Nang International Airport under a project managed by the US Agency for International Development (USAID) and the Ministry of National Defense.
Workers treat dioxin-contaminated soil at Da Nang International Airport. (Photo: VOV)
Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam attended the event. Senior Lieutenant General Nguyen Chi Vinh, the Deputy Minister of National Defense, said: “The budget for the project, the most important factor, has been dealt with. There were some technological difficulties, but we learned useful things about dioxin treatment during the first phase. We believe that project will be a success”.

Deputy Prime Minister Vu Duc Dam said overcoming war aftermath like toxic chemicals is one focus of Vietnam-US cooperation. The project to treat dioxin-contaminated soil at Da Nang International Airport is a significant milestone, in increasing good will between the two governments. Mr. Dam praised the project’s initial success and called on the US to support more projects to clean up dioxin hot spots at Bien Hoa airport in Dong Nai province and Phu Cat airport in Binh Dinh province.

The US and Vietnam launched the dioxin contamination treatment project in 2012. The second and final phase, which will begin later this year, will treat approximately 45,000 cubic metres of contaminated soil and sediment.