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The Agent Orange and Its Repercussions Thread

I have noticed that this thread is well read.. and I thank you all for this.. so an update is in order

This past week has been uplifting for those of us that are involved with this problem.
I am pleased that Greg Thompson was assigned the position of Minister of Veterans Affairs, since he is close enough to the people that were affected that he has an expansive understanding of the problem.

There is now a panel of selected persons, with knowledge that can push the investigation forward, that has been added to help look into all areas and stand up for the citizens. I have just heard that Gloria Sellar, wife of affected Brig/Gen Sellar, is one of the selected panel members.

Both of these encouraging events will be watched closely but I expect we will step forward, in baby steps of course... It is almost 1yr since the first media release and it is much more than a year since I first became openly involved but today I feel I can finally smile...

btw I am still searching for the information outlined in the first post of this thread....
 
Agent Orange inquiry changes hands in Ottawa; Prime minister moves probe to Veterans Affairs from National Defence


The new Conservative government is putting its own stamp on the inquiry into the herbicide spraying program at CFB Gagetown in New Brunswick.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper has moved responsibility for the file from Defence Minister Gordon O'Connor to Veterans Affairs Minister Greg Thompson.

The government has also abandoned its policy to restrict any compensation for health damages to the 1966 and 1967 sprays of Agent Orange. It now accepts that there may be health effects from exposure to the annual herbicide spray program over the past 50 years.

"The government of Canada now accepts that this annual spray happened as of course differentiated from the Agent Orange testing," said Dennis Furlong, the co-ordinator for the fact-finding and outreach initiative.

"The current process as the prime minister said is about full and fair compensation so I guess we need to get that information to the government as fast as possible so that full and fair compensation can be defined and subsequently carried out."

Thompson, the MP for New Brunswick Southwest and the new regional minister for New Brunswick, was a critic of the panel established by the former Liberal government. He said it was too slow and too limited.

Furlong, who met Thompson Monday, said he was pleased with the shifts.
"This file moving over to veterans affairs to a minister that had an interest in it all along will probably drive the agenda a little faster," Furlong said.

"Minister Thompson has said he wants this file to move as rapidly as possible and he is going to try to do that at his end, and of course we have to try to do things as rapidly as possible at this end."

Furlong said the minister of national defence is preoccupied with many files, none more important than the peace making mission in Afghanistan, so he has less time to follow the inquiry into the herbicide program at CFB Gagetown. The minister of veterans affairs has more time to devote to the issue. Furlong wants the inquiry to terminate in mid-2007.

"I think we can make it."
While Furlong expressed satisfaction in the mandate of his mission, he said he is finding bureaucratic hurdles that can cause delays. For example, government regulations require that a proposed survey of the health of people who worked at CFB Gagetown over the past 50 years must be preceded by a privacy impact study. This initial study is to ensure that the subsequent health survey does not breach the privacy rights of participants.

"One of my requests when we started this was to try to move it as fast as possible and of course moving it fast inside the bureaucracy of the federal government is tough. It is not because anybody is not doing their job. It is just that things are slow-moving."

The public hearing phase of the inquiry is winding down. There was a meeting in Welsford last night (FEB 16), one tonight in Hoyt and a final public hearing in Oromocto Feb. 23.

Between 150,000 and 200,000 people may have come in contact with the herbicide spray program on CFB Gagetown between 1956 and the present. The chemicals used in the spray are linked to diseases such as cancer.

The inquiry is making good progress on the three "tasks" the former government assigned to it.
The first task was a review of all the Department of National Defence personnel records; the second was a review of the spray programs and their impact on the environment; and the third was a health study on the effects of the herbicide and a comparison of the health status of those living on or near the base to a similar group of Canadians from elsewhere
 
Advocate called to conference

Sun, February 26, 2006

By JOE MATYAS, FREE PRESS REPORTER
   

 
A London advocate for Canadian victims of Agent Orange has been invited to an international conference on the harm done by the military use of toxic chemical defoliants.

"The invitation is a recognition that our cause is part of a global story about Agent Orange and similar chemicals," said Art Connolly.

"It recognizes that veterans and civilians have been harmed by exposure to these deadly chemicals in both war and peace."

The Vietnam Association of Victims of Agent Orange, based in New York City, invited Connolly to the conference in Hanoi March 28 and 29. Connolly will represent the Agent Orange Association of Canada.

Delegates from Australia, Korea and New Zealand are expected to attend, along with American and Vietnamese civilians and veterans, Connolly said.

The U.S. organization's website says tens of thousands of American soldiers and three million Vietnamese were harmed by agents Orange, Blue, Green, Pink, Purple and White, all of which contained dioxin, "the most toxic chemical known to science."

They were widely used during the Vietnam war.

"They were basically the same chemicals in different mixtures, with dioxin being a key ingredient," Connolly said.

In Canada, about 1,000 people have expressed interest in joining a class-action lawsuit against the federal government in relation to the use of the defoliants at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown from 1956 to 1984.

The suit was filed last July. A court ruling on whether it can be pursued as a class action is expected in May, Connolly said.

The suit claims defoliant spraying caused widespread harm to the environment, military personnel and civilians.

Access to information research revealed 72,400 hectares of New Brunswick forest was sprayed with 1.3 million litres of liquid dioxins and hexachlorobenzenes and a million kilograms of dry chemicals, Connolly said.

As a result, "hundreds, possibly thousands of people" died or suffered serious illnesses because of chemical poisoning, the suit alleges.

Connolly said about 200,000 Canadian Forces personnel were stationed at Gagetown during the 28 years in question.

Connolly, whose father was a career military man, lived at Oromocto on the base with his family from 1962 to 1969.

Connolly's father suffered multiple health problems, his youngest brother died of Reye's syndrome at age seven, his mother lost her stomach to cancer and his sister, Patty, died at 27 of a pulmonary embolism.

"I'm the only healthy one," Connolly said. "I guess that was so I could speak for them and for others like them."

The Agent Orange Association of Canada was granted status as a non-profit corporation this month.
 
Preliminary results of Dioxin testing at CFB Gagetown has caused the the Base Commander to limit access to two sections of its ranges and training areas as a precautionary measure. These are the Clones and Murphy bivouac areas. Elevated levels were also found in the Ripon Road area. The limited access is to protect those at Gagetown at this time....

Gosh, I wonder what the levels might have been 40 years ago... and all the time inbetween??  They say a full report will be released at the end of March or into April.
 
While Canadians wait  and wait to hear news about what might be done concerning the toxic chemical exposure at CFB Gagetown, the American VA moves ahead to show concern about their militia. http://www.me.ngb.army.mil/Agents/AO%20IP%20%20MAP.pdf

This is very disheartening since we have been told that the report, on the studies being done, will not even get to our government until NEXT summer... even with the tests that verify our stories we are still second class citizens. Please note that the Americans moved ahead with just knowing that the chemicals 2,4-D and 2,4,5-T had been sprayed, I sure wonder what they will do when they learn that Arsenic, Hexachlorobenzene, Tordon and oh so many others were also sprayed for many years. Our government knows it but they seem to NOT be sharing the info with other countries that want to help their victims... such a shame
 
This is slightly off topic, but may be of interest anyway. As I was reading through this thread, I saw several times that Tordon was sprayed in Gagetown up to 1984. Here's an example:

MIKsam said:
In 1965, for a number of factors, one being the spray accident, secondly because the military were not satisfied with the kill ratio of Agent Orange, they switched to using Tordon 101 for the next twenty (20) years until 1984.

Tordon 101 is Agent White, which contained 2,4-D, plus Picloram in a 4:1 ratio. The deadly part of this mix was Picloram, which contained Hexachlorobenzene (HCB).

I know first hand that Tordon was sprayed in Gagetown as late as 1993, because I was (accidentally) sprayed with it. To summarize, our Phase III (Infantry) platoon patrolled into an area that was clearly marked with signs indicating a Tordon spray. (Unfortunately as candidates, we were at the mercy of the DS on hand who dictated that the patrol route would not change.) Sure enough, the sign was accurate, because shortly after entering the area  >:( a chopper flew over and sprayed us. If you can believe it, some guys actually ate blueberries while they waited in the ORV, and subsequently ended up in the MIR. (Call me paranoid, but I wasn't touching a thing - well, except for crawling through the grass, pepper potting, etc. ;))

I'm not trying to cause a panic or spread rumour. My motivation for posting is to better understand the situation. Specifically, this post caught my eye:

dalriada said:
TORDON 101 was sprayed in CFB Gagetown from 1965 to 1984 inclusive and according to the FoI document that I have, our government sprayed close to a milllion liters of the stuff and it was the pre 1988 version which is understood to be 25 times more toxic, thus the concern.

TORDON 101 is Agent White.

It sounds like the "post 1988" Tordon is much less lethal. In fact, I recall that the warning signs indicated Tordon-7 (or possibly Tordon-5) but certainly not Tordon-101. I should dig up my old FMP as I recall writing down the date, grid and text from the warning sign. I hope I still have it! At any rate, I'll try to dig up info on the variants of Tordon, but if anyone has info/advice, I'd love to hear it.


Cheers
Mike
 
:tank:

Suggested reading:  http://veterans.iom.edu,,,,Health of Veterans & Deployed Forces (Vietnam War)

It's tough to think of anything being sprayed as dangerous if nobody immediately drops dead...it never bothered me...but now we have to sensitize our young soldiers to potential risks.
 
at 14:16 on March 24, 2006, EST.

MONCTON, N.B. (CP) - People exposed to toxic chemicals at a New
Brunswick army base are closer to being compensated by the federal
government.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper said Friday he's asked Veterans Affairs
Minister Greg Thompson to look into the issue and come up with a
proposal. "I know he's undertaken that work promptly," Harper told
reporters during a visit to this New Brunswick city.

"Cabinet has yet to deal with the issue, but I assume it will in due
course."

Thompson said he expects to have a plan developed for the fall
sitting of cabinet.

"That's our plan. It's well underway and we're working on it
vigorously," Thompson said.

Harper promised during the election campaign that a Conservative
government would offer full and fair compensation to persons exposed
to defoliant spraying at CFB Gagetown during the period from 1956 to
1984.

He said the Tories would disclose all information concerning the
spraying to veterans and civilians, and provide medical testing to
any person who may have been exposed.

Dozens of people say they have become sick with cancer and other
illnesses they believe were triggered by the U.S. military testing of
Agent Orange and other powerful herbicides at the New Brunswick base.

Dioxin, the toxic component of the sprays, was banned in the early
1980s.
 
The Vice-President of AOAC (AgentOrangeAssociation of Canada), Mr Art Connolly, was chosen to speak at the Internation Conference, concerning AgentOrange and chemical exposures, which he attended as the Canadian representative... He was well received although the main thing that stood out was that Canada had no media or Governmental representation present... The International Conference now recognizes 'Gagetown Canada' as a point of exposure...

http://www.vnagency.com.vn/NewsA.asp?LANGUAGE_ID=2&CATEGORY_ID=29&NEWS_ID=192748

Int'l conference appeals justice for AO victims
  03/29/2006 -- 20:36(GMT+7) 
 
Ha Noi (VNA) - Governments, international and national organizations, and non-government organizations are urged to provide material and spiritual support for victims of Agent Orange/dioxin in Viet Nam.

The appeal was released in Ha Noi at the end of the March 28-29 International Conference of Victims of AO/dioxin.

Following is the full text of the appeal:

"We, victims of Agent Orange and other toxic chemicals, together with supporters and scientists from Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Great Britain, New Zealand, the Republic of Korea, Russia, the United States and Viet Nam participating in the International Conference of Victims of AO/dioxin (ICVA) held in Ha Noi, Viet Nam on March 28-29, 2006, make the following appeal to the international community:

"We have discussed the effects of Agent Orange contaminated with dioxin (AO/dioxin) and other toxic chemicals on the life and health, and the sufferings of those affected. Based on this exchange of views, we unanimously confirm the following:

1. During the war waged in Viet Nam, the US chemical companies manufactured and supplied millions of litres of toxic chemicals disguised as defoliants or herbicides. Those chemicals contained high levels of dioxin. They were an utterly lethal substance.

2. Those toxic chemicals destroyed the environment, millions of acres of forests, leading to an imbalanced ecology, great loss of timber resources and the disappearance of several annual species as well as precious forest vegetation. As a consequence, natural disasters, such as flood, erosion and drought have become more common and thus impacting severely on agriculture, the main source of subsistence for South Vietnamese residents.

3. However, the worst effect of those toxic chemicals is the harm to human life and health of those exposed to them. Victims of AO/dioxin and other toxic chemicals consists of:

a. Million of Vietnamese living in their homes and members of the liberation armed forces, and those working for the former Sai Gon regime and armed forces, an ally of the US at that time. Various investigations and scientific studies (frequently with participation of foreign and American scientists) have demonstrated that Vietnamese victims have suffered a variety of serious diseases - even far more and worse than the dioxin-related diseases listed by the US National Academy of Sciences Institute of Medicine between 1994 and 1995. In addition, many female victims have experienced reproductive problems. Many of them have been deprived of the ability to bear children and to experience the joy of being a mother. The most painful effect, however, is that AO/dioxin has already harmed the next generation of children and will do the same to the following ones. Many children have been born without the experience of war but have deformed bodies and can never enjoy the simplest experience of happiness - that is to live as an ordinary human being.

For the above-said reasons, victims of AO/dioxin and their families are among the poorest and most unhappy of the society. Many thousands of victims have died without justice for themselves and their families.

The fact that there are large numbers of Vietnamese victims suffering from various kinds of serious diseases, is understandable for they have been living in areas sprayed by AO/dioxin.

b. Many thousands of soldiers and officers from the United States, the Republic of Korea, Australia, Canada and New Zealand were also contaminated by AO/dioxin while involved in the Viet Nam war. They have consequently suffered many serious diseases, which also caused enormous sufferings to their loved ones. Several countries have recognized the health effects of AO/dioxin and other toxic chemicals and paid for medical and other treatments for affected veterans. Nevertheless, many still do not have these entitlements and still have to fight for recognition, compensation and justice.

c. Apart from those affected by AO/dioxin in Viet Nam, many in Gagetown (Canada) and other countries also connect their illnesses with the use of AO/dioxin. Their conditions are similar to those of Vietnamese and other victims and they have therefore participated in this international conference of victims of AO/dioxin so as to express their solidarity with the affected people and their struggle for justice.

The contamination by AO/dioxin and other toxic chemicals has led to the poor physical health and death of many, loss of family happiness, a life of poverty and deprivation for deformed children, and absence of support in times of sickness and old age.

4. We utterly dispute the conclusion reached by Judge Jack Weinstein who dismissed the Vietnamese victims' lawsuit without paying respect to justice and the obvious realities in Viet Nam.

5. We, victims of AO/dioxin and our supporters affirm our commitment to working in solidarity, regardless of race or political belief, and demand that the US chemical companies pay compensation equal to their liability, as stipulated by law.

6. We strongly support the lawsuit filed by the Vietnamese AO/dioxin victims till their final victory in their fight for justice.

We congratulate the initial success of Republic of Korean victims and will continue to support them until their final victory. We support the fight for justice of the Viet Nam veterans of the United States, Australia and New Zealand.

7. We demand that the United States Government be held responsible for making contributions to overcoming the consequences of toxic chemicals.

8. We call upon governments of Republic of Korea, Australia, New Zealand and the United States to adopt appropriate policies towards victims of their respective countries and also support the victims in Viet Nam.

9. We call upon governments, international and national organizations, and non-government organizations to provide material and spiritual support for victims of AO/dioxin in Viet Nam and help the country overcome the heavy aftermath of the toxic chemical.

"The pain and sufferings are not a single individual’s.

"This struggle for justice is for the entire world, for future generations, and for our peaceful and healthy planet earth."-Enditem
 
Below is a speech delivered at an international agent orange conference held in Hanoi Vietnam on March 28, 29 2006. It was presented by Art Connolly Vice President Agent Orange Association of Canada.
(Reference    www.agentorangealert.com )
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
My name is Art Connolly and I am Vice President of the Agent Orange Association of Canada. I am honoured and I thank you for the opportunity to attend this conference and share Canada’s story regarding the poisoning of so many of its people by chemical defoliants.

In May and June of 2005, the Canadian media reported that the chemical defoliant agent orange was "tested" by the U.S. military at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown New Brunswick, Canada.

At the invitation of the Canadian government the U.S.military tested Agent Orange, along with other chemical defoliants, in order to determine their effectiveness for use in Vietnam. Canada’s Department of National Defence cooperated with the U.S military to test the defoliant’s effectiveness for its own brush control use in Canada.

Canadian Forces Base Gagetown at 1100 sq. kms is the largest military base in the British Commonwealth and officials argue that control of its dense vegetation is necessary to prevent it from being ignited by unexploded ordinance.

According to Assistant Deputy Minister of National Defence Karen Ellis, only two barrels of the toxic defoliant "agent orange" were sprayed "under carefully controlled conditions" on 83 acres of land for a total of 7 days in 1966 and 1967.

Assistant Deputy Minister Ms. Ellis did not reveal that in the summer of 1966 the military also used the chemical defoliant Agent Purple. Agent Purple contained more than three times the level of lethal dioxin as Agent Orange. It was also laced with arsenic. Agent Purple is considered so harmful that the American military stopped its use in Vietnam, one year earlier, in 1965.

Documentation obtained from Canada’s Department of National Defence via the "Access To Information Act" shows that Ms. Ellis’ statement was lacking in its disclosure regarding herbicidal spraying at CFB Gagetown.

The document proves that from 1956 to 1984 there was over 1.3 million litres of liquid defoliants and 2 million lbs of dry chemical defoliants containing deadly dioxin and hexachlorobenzene were sprayed over 181,000 acres at CFB Gagetown.

Dioxin is considered to be the most dangerous substance known to science. Dioxin poisoning has been linked to a number of serious health conditions, including skin disorders, nerve disorders, type 2 diabetes and numerous cancers. Dioxin is a human carcinogen that can damage the liver, thyroid, intestinal track and nervous system. Dioxin is fat -soluble and therefore can be passed up the food chain from animals to humans. There is no method for removing dioxin from the body. It is important to note that dioxins have a half-life of five to 10 years.

In 1964 while the DND was administering its herbicidal spray program there was a "spray application accident." Increased winds carried the spray to the Upper Gagetown and Sheffield area. The results of that accident was that the Government of Canada paid approximately $250,000 to several market gardens in the area as reparation for the damage to their crops. Many believe it was monies paid to silence the farmers and an admission of liability. According to local news reports "spray application accidents" occurred on a regular basis. In 1965, for a number of reasons, one being the spray accident, DND switched to spraying "Tordon 101" for the next 20 years, until 1984. "Tordon 101" is what the Americans called Agent White. It contained picloram and 2,4-D in a 4:1 ratio. The picloram contained an inert agent called hexachlorobenzene that has been identified by both the U.S. Agency for Toxic Substances and the World Health Organization as being a persistent bio-accumulative toxin that causes cancer.

The Environmental Protection Agency has established that hexachlorobenzene harms the liver, kidneys, blood, and lungs and the nervous, immune, and gastrointestinal systems. Yet for 20 years DND sprayed this deadly poison on the training area, where human contact was inevitable.

According to the U.S. EPA website, "Because Hexachlorobenzene...is persistent and bioaccumulative, it stays in our environment for a long time and contaminates our food chain. Hexachlorobenzene can cause severe health problems for humans...." It damages bones, kidneys, and blood cells. It can harm the immune system. It lowers the survival rate of young children. It can cause abnormal fetal development. It harms the liver and the endocrine and nervous systems, and it may cause cancer.

In 1985 in a briefing to members of the province of New Brunswick Cabinet, Major Mike Rushton admitted the government knew about and was concerned by dioxin and therefore decided not to use it after 1964. Yet the Department of National Defence knowingly used it as an ingredient in 8 of the tests conducted at CFB Gagetown in 1966 and 1967.

As this story drew more media attention in the months following its original release the Canadian public started questioning and demanding answers from the then governing federal Liberal Party government of Canada.

Response from the Department of National Defence and the Government of Canada has been less than forthcoming. DND has been notoriously reluctant to admit anything regarding the use of chemical defoliants. They tend to admit only what has been revealed by other sources. DND and the federal government would not acknowledge the spray program outside of 1966 and 1967 even though their very own documents prove that the spraying occurred.

According to the Department of National Defence there were 200,000 military personnel at CFB Gagetown from 1956 to 1984. This figure includes troops from Britain, Scotland and the United States have trained at CFB Gagetown.

This tragedy is not only about the soldiers who have had their health affected. It is also about the soldier’s spouses and children who have died or are sick. It is about the civilian employees and their spouses and children who have died or are sick. It is about the civilians who lived in the area and their spouses and children who have died or are sick.

It is important to realize that the military base was not merely a location for military activities. Soldiers and families engaged in activities on the base such as berry and apple picking, hunting, trout fishing and drinking from streams. Thousands of children and wives were exposed to and poisoned by dioxin and hexachlorobenzene over a period of almost four decades.

For the Canadian government to say families were not exposed to the defoliation chemicals in any way is not only a callous dismissal of fact, but also a heinous lie, and it infuriates and frustrates the people who were there and who are sick.

DND records reveal that spraying frequently took place in relatively close proximity to surrounding communities. Distances ranged from 1 to 7 kilometres.

The Department of National Defence and the Government of Canada are not being truthful and forthright about this tragedy. It has been proven that DND sprayed deadly dioxins and hexachlorobenzene-laced defoliant from 1956 to 1984 at Gagetown. DND did not volunteer this information. DND did not take the opportunity to divulge information about the other defoliants when first questioned about Agent Orange. DND was NOT transparent in any sense of the word.

DND is now asking the world to believe it is being honest and up front. DND's previous actions have spoken much louder than its present-day words. Based on DND’s past actions those who are sick and those who have lost loved ones will NEVER believe them. The public will NEVER believe the effort being put forth to resolve the situation as long as DND is leading that effort. DND has no credibility in the eyes of the sick, the survivors, and now the general public

In answer to the outcry from the public the Government of Canada has created the Base Gagetown and Area Fact Finders Project. The project is led by the Department of National Defence. This begs the question why is this investigation being led by the accused?

This project is being presented as a public inquiry. It is not a public inquiry! It has no legal authority to subpoena or protect any witnesses that come forward to offer evidence.

The Project has two key responsibilities. The first is to be a conduit of information between those with concerns and the Government of Canada. The project is to hear the concerns of the community, ensure those concerns are communicated to both government and those completing the fact-finding tasks, and is to inform the community about the fact-finding work being conducted for the government.

The second responsibility is that the Coordinator of the project will provide a report to the Government of Canada through the Minister of National Defence documenting his discussions with people, including some personal comments. The Coordinator is not permitted to offer recommendations but is to merely submit facts to the federal government. This report will be an important consideration in subsequent policy decisions made by the Government of Canada.

It is the opinion of the Agent Orange Association of Canada that this project is merely a public relations exercise put in place by the federal government to appease the public.

The Fact Finder Project has 3 tasks:

Fact-finding Task 1 will seek to identify and contact, former and current serving Canadian Forces' members, and former and current civilian employees of the Department of National Defence (DND) who were present at CFB Gagetown during the spraying of the herbicides in question. Greg Thompson, the present day Minister of Veteran Affairs, has stated "The government has those records now and could actually release those in an afternoon"

The Agent Orange Association of Canada notes that there is no mention of the spouses and children of soldiers, civilian employees and no mention of civilian neighbours. Civilian employees are advised that they must apply for Workers Compensation benefits. Spouses, children and civilians are left to leave their fate with the courts. This "divide and conquer" response by the government has not gone unnoticed by the victims and families. The government’s response is offensive and insulting to those not recognized. Consequently a class action lawsuit has been instigated and is being led by the prestigious Canadian law firm The Merchant Law Group.

Fact-finding Task 2 will be a review of the history and science of the spraying of herbicides at CFB Gagetown from 1952 to present day and an assessment of their environmental fate and impacts.

The Agent Orange Association of Canada suggests that the government look no further than their own documentation easily obtained through the "Access To Information" Act . It gives a complete listing of all chemicals sprayed during the years in question.

Fact-finding Task 3 is divided into two parts: Part 1 is a health study that will assess potential risks to human health from the herbicides used at CFB Gagetown, based on the properties of these products and the probability and degree of exposure.

Part 2 is a descriptive epidemiological study, which would determine whether there is a higher incidence of illnesses in the population in the area surrounding CFB Gagetown, versus a control population from elsewhere.

The Agent Orange Association of Canada believes that an epidemiological study of the present population would not show true results. The 200,000 troops and their families that were at CFB Gagetown between 1956 and 1984 are no longer residents.

The Agent Orange Association of Canada believe that the Base Gagetown and Area Fact Finder project has to be dismantled. After 50 years of lies and deception from the Department of National Defence they should not be leading this investigation. The project cannot and will not be trusted.

On March 10 of this year the Department of National Defence issued a press release stating that of soil samples already tested ten percent were above accepted levels.

The other 90 percent did contain dioxins but were below Canadian Council of Ministers for the Environment (CCME) soil quality guidelines for dioxins. Considering the half life of dioxins are five to ten years, one must question what the levels would have been when the defoliants were sprayed up to 50 years ago. The soil samples were only testing for 17 of 76 possible dioxins. There has been no hexachlorbenzene testing results as of this writing.

Veteran Affairs Canada, the federal government department mandated to look after Canada’s veterans, has been less than stellar in this affair. The year 2005 was the "Year of the Veteran". Unfortunately that was only in name not in practice. Although Veteran Affairs claims that it gives veterans "benefit of the doubt" when they apply for benefits it appears not to be the case when they apply for benefits due to illness from chemical defoliants.

As of March 14, 2006 reports state that were 1453 applications received, of those 17 have been approved.

In January of 2006 the Canadian public elected a new Conservative Party government. The newly elected Prime Minster Stephen Harper during his election campaign promised to provide medical testing and compensation to victims of toxic herbicide spraying by Canada's armed forces at CFB Gagetown.

Note that Prime Minster Harper said medical testing and compensation to "victims" of toxic herbicide spraying. The Agent Orange Association of Canada takes that to mean all victims including spouses and children of military personnel as well as civilians. The Agent Orange Association of Canada also takes that to mean all toxic herbicide spraying and not only agent orange.

Media reports have stated that the newly elected government will move the Agent Orange file from the Department of National Defence to the control of Veteran Affairs Canada. As of this date that has not happened.

The Agent Orange Association has received thousands of emails, letters and phone calls from the victims of this tragedy that describe death, sickness and despair. They describe lives ruined by illnesses that in the minds of so many were unexplained. In Canada there is a lack of medical professionals that are familiar with the diagnosis and treatment of chemical poisoning. The victims have no one to turn to for medical assistance.

The Agent Orange Association of Canada believes that the Canadian government should mirror the Americans' actions and adopt a "presumptive clause" whereby if an individual both military and civilian is identified as being at CFB Gagetown during the years of spraying and is suffering or has suffered from a disease related to these chemicals then they are awarded compensation. One compensation plan should be in effect for all.

The Government of Canada must establish testing programs, and provide funds for medical care expenses not covered by medi-care. Grief and psychological counselling must also be made available. The Agent Orange Association of Canada is calling for a public inquiry into the poisoning of generations of military and civilian personnel. Finally there is one more thing required for the victims who have died, their loved ones and those who are now sick. It is the most important thing of all. An apology.

In closing I welcome you to watch what Canada does as a nation. I welcome you to watch and see if Canada’s newly elected government fulfills its promises to do the right thing. I pray to God that my country Canada makes me proud and seizes the opportunity to be the world leader in the humane treatment of individuals suffering from chemical defoliant poisoning.

In a world that becomes smaller each and every day it is imperative that we as human beings learn to realise that chemical defoliant poisoning has happened for far too long. We need to make those responsible take accountability for the pain and suffering of the poisoned around the world. I ask each and every one of you delegates to educate me and in turn let me educate you to the things we know so that we can return to our homes and educate the world to the tragedy that so many have suffered.
 
In an article "CFB Gagetown dioxin tests inconclusive", by MICHAEL STAPLES, printed in the Daily Gleaner of Greater Fredericton, published on page A1 on April 22, 2006,
This paper copywrites their articles so I can not copy paste it to this location.. sorry... but I must comment on parts of it and anyone in the Gagetown area can obtain a copy and read for themselves...

In the article Col Ryan Jesting reported as saying that the areas on Ripon Road and the Clones and Murphy bivouac areas done by Health Canada last month have not provided the the answers he was seeking, further saying, the inconclusive results are being reviewed by a panel. That the process will include double-checking to make sure no errors were made with the various samples taken and it could also include taking new samples and having them re-tested.

The areas mentioned were tested and the results were that they were highly contaminated with DIOXINS, now it seems that is not good enough and the military believe that if they test long enough and often enough they might eventually come up with one test that is to their liking and then "Problem Solved"... Well if the tests in those areas do not meet the standard then can the results of the tests in ALL the other areas be trusted?  The veterans who were poisoned (some of who have already died) sit and wait for DND to play their silly games of test this and retest that, when what has been said for so many years is being proven BUT DND reject that proof...

It would seem to me that the title "Inconclusive if you don't like the answers" would have been a much better title to the article
 
the results were that they were highly contaminated with DIOXINS,

Highly contaminated? the results were that the contamination was at a similar level to acceptable levels that canadian chemical workers would expect to work in if they worked in an industrial park. The unaccetable level found at Gagetown was that of a wildlfe area standard not what would be a standard for a labour force to work in. There are different standards for specific locations. The key is was the result higher then what would be resonable for human occupation and work. It was not.
 
I am going to speak. Their is an endless list of carcengenic (SP?) chemicals out there. In civilian industries, beleive it is alot WORSE than CFB Gagetown training area. Yes agent Orange is nasty, nasty stuff. There is far worse.

Want to really freak out on what is bad for you? Try looking at the daily contamination you do for your own body with shampoos, soap, hair spray, shaving gel, tooth paste, deodorant, household cleaning products... They are far more full of dangerous chemicals than the stuff sprayed forty years ago in the training area.

Just look up Sodium Laurel Sulfate some time on Google and found out a little bit about it and where it is used on a daily basis. Thats only one of many dangerous chemicals out there.

There are alternatives.
 
Highly contaminated? the results were that the contamination was at a similar level to acceptable levels that canadian chemical workers would expect to work in if they worked in an industrial park. The unaccetable level found at Gagetown was that of a wildlfe area standard not what would be a standard for a labour force to work in. There are different standards for specific locations. The key is was the result higher then what would be resonable for human occupation and work. It was not.

Yes 3rd Horseman "highly contaminated" as was reported by the Base Commander. 50 TIMES HIGHER than acceptable for humans by Health standards. The three areas mentioned were closed off and marked 'Out of Bounds'. You seem to be in the Gagetown area and I am surprised that you did not know this. I am surprised since it has been in the local news there that the Americans are rethinking if they will use Gagetown for their training this coming summer and have had meetings with the Base Commander to discuss this problem...

ArmyRick... your absolutely right and those of us who are aware take extra care to NOT contaminated our bodies with such dangerous chemicals... It is really to bad that the government kept the chemicals used in Gagetown as a secret for so long or we may have been able to treat the unknown ailments that so many military members and doctors were confused about...  Doctors in Canada are just now learning how to handle environmental illnesses when they could have been learning a long time ago and perhaps preventing all the poisons that are now being used by people... I am sure you have heard news of all the communities that are banning a lot of these items now and that Canada Health is putting out warnings to inform people about the problems of such chemicals.... WHY THE HELL DID THEY KEEP IT SECRET FOR SO LONG AND LIE ABOUT IT????

btw.. CFB Gagetown was contaminated with much more than just dioxin and the chemicals were applied from 1956-1984    Hexachlorobenzen, Arsenic are two others for example. The Agent Orange you refer to was a 50/50 combination of two chemicals and that combination was sprayed over several years... before the Americans nick-named it Agent Orange.... The nick-name came about because of the identifying orange strip that was painted around the barrels so the barrels would not get mixed up with others when being shipped...
 
2-4D, just one of the chemicals sprayed in large quantities at Gagetown, over the years, is now being reported as being linked with cancer. As noted in the report, this chemical is very widely used across Canada and its use for cosmetic purposes may be banned in Canada in the near future.
====================================

April 26, 2006
Common weed killer linked to cancer

DENNIS BUECKERT
Canadian Press

Ottawa — The most commonly used weed killer on Canadian lawns and
gardens — known only as 2,4-D — is "persuasively linked" to cancer,
neurological impairment and reproductive problems, says a new study.
The report in the journal Paediatrics and Child Health directly
contradicts a recent re-assessment of 2,4-D by the federal Pest
Management Regulatory Agency, which found the product does not cause
cancer and can be used safely on lawns if directions are followed.
The product 2,4-D is found in many common pesticides, and has been
controversial for decades.

By coincidence, the study appeared the same day that New Democrat MP
Pat Martin tabled a private member's bill that would ban the use of
pesticides for cosmetic purposes.

Mr. Martin says more than 50 million kilograms of pesticides are
still used in Canada each year.

His bill would require pesticide manufacturers to prove their
products are safe before being placed on the market, rather than
regulators being required to prove the products are dangerous.
The authors of the new study say the federal re-assessment is
largely based on animal studies, which cannot predict consequences
in humans. They also say many of the studies are confidential,
supplied by the manufacturers themselves.

"The 2,4-D assessment (by the federal agency) does not approach
standards for ethics, rigour or transparency in medical research,"
said medical writer Meg Sears, speaking for co-authors Robin Walker,
Richard van der Jagt and Paul Claman.

Dr. an der Jagt is chair of the Canadian Leukemia Studies Group; Dr.
Walker is past president of the Canadian Pediatric Association; Dr.
Claman is a professor of reproductive medicine at the University of
Ottawa.

"What we find is that the (federal agency) looks at a completely
different set of information than the doctors do," Ms. Sears
said. "They are looking at what happens in animals and their
information is largely proprietary.

"The doctors are looking at what is happening in children and people
living across the country and they are seeing major reasons for our
problems.

"This is why we have a complete disconnect between what's happening
at the federal level and down where the doctors are saying there are
problems."

A spokeswoman for the Pest Management Regulatory Agency declined to
comment on the study, but said it is being reviewed. She
acknowledged the agency uses confidential studies in some cases.
About 90 Canadian municipalities and the entire province of Quebec
have already banned the non-essential use of pesticides. Other
attempts to impose a ban, in Ottawa for example, have failed.
 
You would have to be living in a cave not to know that 2-4-D is a cancer causer. Whether soldiers exposure on the range was a greater exposure than at their own homes, schools and park land would be the prime question.
 
Quote from my last post
The report in the journal Paediatrics and Child Health directly
contradicts a recent re-assessment of 2,4-D by the federal Pest
Management Regulatory Agency, which found the product does not cause
cancer

Quote from 3rd Horseman's post
You would have to be living in a cave not to know that 2-4-D is a cancer causer.

Thank you for the chuckle, now I am picturing Federal Pest Management Regulatory Agency as cave dwellers....    :rofl:
 
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