WORDS ON THE STREET 70th anniversary of Hanoi's Liberation Day Vietnam - Asia 2023 Smart City Summit Hanoi celebrates 15 years of administrative boundary adjustment 12th Vietnam-France decentrialized cooperation conference 31st Sea Games - Vietnam 2021 Covid-19 Pandemic
Home / Social Affairs
Bien Hoa City contaminated with heavy dioxin
By Bach Nhat 15:36, 2014/10/22
Around 250,000 cu.m of soil in Bien Hoa City, the southern province of Dong Nai, are contaminated with dioxin at levels ranging from 1,000 ppt to as high as more than 1 million ppt, it was reported at a workshop in Dong Nai on October 31.
The director of the national project on overcoming consequences of toxic chemicals used by the US army during the war in Vietnam, Le Ke Son said at least US$250 million and five years will be needed to treat all the contaminated soil. 

According to Son, this is the conclusion of a survey conducted by the National Steering Committee for overcoming consequences of Agent Orange/dioxin (or Committee 33 in short) in coordination with relevant ministries and agencies. The survey examined dioxin contamination at Bien Hoa Airport, a major military airbase of the US army during the war, and surrounding areas. 


UNDP Deputy Country Director Bakhodir Burkhanov said since 2009, the UNDP has assisted the Vietnamese government in dealing with dioxin contamination at hotspots in the country. 

Over the past five years, with funding from the Global Environment Facility (GEF), UNDP and the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment (MONRE) have mapped dioxin contamination at Bien Hoa Airbase to give a better understanding of its scope, level and the unique features of the contamination. Through this project, interim measuring facilities have been set up to prevent dioxin from being released to outside the airbase. 

The UNDP official affirmed that dioxin contamination is the cause of many health problems, and it is important that local residents are aware of the risks that dioxin poses to their health and livelihood. 

A representative from the Defence Ministry reported that the ministry has completed the containment of nearly 100,000 cubic meters of dioxin contaminated soil on 4.3 ha of land in the airport at the cost of around VND73 billion. The containment method was also used in dealing with 7,500 cubic metres of dioxin contaminated soil in Phu CatAirport in the central province of Binh Dinh.
Other news
22:39, 2025/01/01
Hanoi works to ensure merry Tet
The move aims to make the best preparations for the traditional Tet celebrations.
17:37, 2024/12/30
Channel needed to expand Hanoi's OCOP products: Experts
Hanoi has devised a plan to boost the sale of OCOP products by creating OCOP venues associated with rural tourism and craft village visits in the city.
21:24, 2024/12/28
Rising Like Bamboo: Vietnamese Identity on the Global Stage
The Vietnam International Awards 2024 brings together outstanding individuals, compassionate hearts, and promising young talents, all united by a common goal: to connect and spread the positive values of the Vietnamese community worldwide.
15:55, 2024/12/17
Circular economy requires solid waste management in Hanoi
Synchronized procedures and regulations for the classification, collection, treatment, and recycling of household solid waste are necessary to support the circular economy in Hanoi.
14:18, 2024/12/15
Hanoi's top priority is to keep students safe while traveling
The local government has set up teams of volunteers to control traffic at school entrances while maintaining the Safe School Gates model throughout the city.
18:43, 2024/12/11
Hanoi pioneers in using interoperable smart cards for public transport
The system of interoperable cards in Hanoi has been improved to increase the efficiency of public transportation.