At the request of the Government of Vietnam (GVN), the U.S. Government agreed to complete the environmental remediation, or cleanup, of the Danang Airport due to high dioxin concentrations in soil and sediment remaining from the U.S.-Vietnam War. Working in close partnership with the government, USAID completed an environmental assessment in June 2010 followed by the engineering and design work for the remediation activities. In 2011, the Vietnamese Government completed its own environmental impact assessment, removed unexploded ordnance, and the Prime Minister formally approved the remediation project.
In August 2012, the U.S. Government and the Vietnam Ministry of Defense (MND) began project implementation at Danang, which aims to clean up the dioxin contamination and consequently eliminate the risk of dioxin exposure to the surrounding community while developing Vietnamese capacity for environmental assessment and remediation activities.
In May 2015, successful treatment of approximately 45,000 cubic meters of dioxin-contaminated material was confirmed. This material was then cooled to safe handling temperatures and removed from the treatment structure. An event held in May 2016 between the U.S. Ambassador and Vice Minister of MND marked the return of the treated land and treated soil and sediment to the GVN for beneficial reuse to expand the Danang International Airport prior to the 2017 Asian Pacific Economic Cooperation event hosted by the City of Danang. In October 2016, the U.S. Ambassador and the Vice Minister of MND ceremonially started the second and final phase of thermal treatment. A community outreach meeting was also held to review Phase 1 activities and compliance monitoring results, treatment modifications and planned Phase 2 activities. Phase 2 began in November 2016 and is estimated to treat another approximately 45,000 cubic meters of contaminated material by mid-2017. The structure will then be dismantled and the site restored by mid-2018.
- Progress Highlights
- Project Timeline
- Remediation Areas
- A Description of the Remediation Process
- How Health and Safety Concerns Have Been Addressed
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Key Facts about the Environmental Remediation Project in Danang
- More Information about Environmental Remediation
- Notice on Media Access to Danang Airport Dioxin Remediation Site
As we carry out this project, we are making all effort to ensure that the health and safety of on-site workers, airport personnel, and Danang residents are protected. Read more about Health and Safety.
For more information about environmental remediation, consult our page of links.
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Last updated: August 21, 2017
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