Environmental Pollution and Protection

Download PDF (248 KB) PP. 69 - 80 Pub. Date: December 23, 2016

DOI: 10.22606/epp.2016.12002

• Alvin L. Young
  A. L. Young Consulting, Inc., Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States
• Kristian L. Young^*
  A. L. Young Consulting, Inc., Cheyenne, Wyoming, United States

In numerous domestic and international media reports throughout May and June 2011, allegations were made by United States veterans that the military defoliant Agent Orange had been buried in 1978 at Camp Carroll, a US military installation in the Republic of South Korea. Moreover, some US veterans who had served in South Korea in the 1960s and 1970s claimed that Agent Orange had been routinely sprayed in South Korea. Records and publications confirmed that the only use of the tactical herbicides Agents Orange and Blue in Korea occurred in April – July 1968 on the Korean Demilitarized Zone (DMZ). This article is intended to clarify what occurred in 1968, to explain why Agent Orange could not have been buried or sprayed in other locations in Korea, to describe the actual Korean military operation on the DMZ, and to briefly review the supporting science.

Agent Orange, Korea, tactical herbicides, Korean DMZ, Eighth US Army, Camp Carroll, Agent Blue

[1] A. L. Young, “The History, Use, Disposition, and Environmental Fate of Agent Orange. Springer, 2009.

[2] A. Rowland and Y.K Chang, S. Korea probes allegations of buried chemicals at ex-U.S. base, Stars and Stripes, May 25, 2011.

[3] Nam Jong-young, Allegations expand to civilian mobilization for DMZ dump. Yonhap News, May 26, 2011.

[4] G. Kirk and C. Ahn, Agent Orange in Korea, Foreign Policy in Focus, Institute for Policy Studies, Washington, DC, July 7, 2011.

[5] A. L. Young, The History of the US Department of Defense Programs for the Testing, Evaluation, and Storage of Tactical Herbicides, 2006. Available from the Defense Technical Information Center (www.dtic.mil ), accession number: ADA534602.

[6] J. E. Buckner, Final Report, Vegetation Control Plan CY 68, Prepared for the Combat Developments Command, Chemical-Biological-Radiological Agency, Fort McClellan, Alabama, June 2, 1969.

[7] S. R. Larson and J. L. Collins, Jr., The Republic of Korea, Chapter VI: IN: Vietnam Studies: Allied Participation in Vietnam, Department of the Army, Washington DC, 1975.pp 131-134.

[8] R. P. Fox, Air Base Defense in the Republic of Vietnam, 1961-1973, Office of Air Force History, Washington, DC, 1979, pp 74-75.

[9] Kyong-hyun Kim, Song-ryong Chong, and Un-ho Lee, Vietnam War and Agent Orange, Vol 1, English Translation, Medical Bureau of the Korean Armed Forces, Ministry of National Defense, Korea, 1978.

[10] J. Park, Scientific Evaluation of the Results of the Third Epidemiological Study on Defoliants. The Korean Society for Preventive Medicine commissioned by the Minister of Patriots & Veterans Affairs, December 2006.

[11] N. E. Sarantakes, The Quiet War: Combat Operations Along the Korean Demilitarized Zone, 1966 -1969, The Journal of Military History no. 64 pp 439-458. April 2000.

[12] Joint Message, Request for Technical Assistance, Howard E. Kreidler, Colonel, USAF, Directorate of Operations, HQ, USAF to TAC and PACAF, 6 November 1963. Obtained from the Historical Records of the Eighth United States Army, Series 338, Washington National Records Center, Suitland, MD.

[13] EUSA Study, Analysis of DMZ and Contiguous Operations: The Rice Report, Historical Records of the Eighth US Army, 1966. Extracted by the US Army & Joint Services Records Research Center for the Department of Veterans Affairs, Springfield, VA.

[14] HQ EUSA Ltr, Special Analysis of the DMZ and Contiguous Operations, Historical Records of the Eighth US Army, 1967. Extracted by the US Army & Joint Services Records Research Center for the Department of Veterans Affairs, Springfield, VA.

[15] Korean Ministry of Patriots & Veterans Affairs. Regulations Regarding the Scope of Area Adjacent to Southern Limit Line Where Defoliants Were Used. 1969. The “Area Adjacent to Southern Limit Line” was determined pursuant to the provisions of Article 2 of the Korean Ministry of Patriots & Veterans Affairs The area refers to (1) the area 100 meters away from the north or south of the Southern Limit Line, (2) the area adjacent to observation posts, command posts and other important military installations built near the Area Adjacent to the Southern Limit Line, and (3) the area 30 meters away from the right or left side of the tactical road near iron railings (or fences) installed near the Southern Limit Line.

[16] J. V. Smith, RADM, Senior Member UN CMACN confirmed that the United Nations Command was aware that the FROKA was preparing to use defoliants on the DMZ, 8th Army Chronology, published by the Staff Historian Office, Eighth United States Army, APO 96301.

[17] Yearbook of Agriculture and Forestry Statistics, Consumption Trends of Herbicides by Group in Korea, Published by the Ministry for Food, Agriculture, Forestry, and Fisheries, Seoul, Korea, 2010-2011.

[18] D. A. Craig, Use of Herbicides in Southeast Asia, Directorate of San Antonio Energy Management, San Antonio Air Materiel Center (SAAMA), Kelly AFB, TX, USA, 1975.

[19] W. B. House, L. H. Goodson, H. M. Galberry, and K. W. Docktor, Assessment of Ecological Effects of Extensive or Repeated Use of Herbicides, Midwest Research Institute, Kansas City, MO, USA, 1967, http://www.dtic.mil/get-tr-doc/pdf?AD=0824314.

[20] Joint Message, Total National Production of Butyl Esters of 2,4,5-T Restricted for the SEA Defoliation Program, Commander of the Defense Supply Center, Richmond, VA to Army Logistical and Support Commands, 16 December 1967.

[21] The authorization process required that a message be sent from SAAMA to COMUSMACV, RVN. This was accomplished on 17 Feb 68. COMUSMACV notified Commander, EUSA, Korea of the transfer of the required inventory, and the Air Force Chief of Staff finalized the transfer and provided a fund citation, 20 March 1968. These messages were in the United States National Archives at College Park, MD and were part of the records from the United States Air Force Judge Advocate.

[22] This message was also in the National Archives at College Park, Maryland, and was part of the records from the United States Air Force Judge Advocate Records, message dated 20 March 1968.

[23] This message was also from the United States Air Force Judge Advocate Records, message dated 20 March 1968.

[24] A. L. Young, Agent Orange: A History of Its Use, Disposition, and Environmental Fate, Chapter 3, Figure 3.11and accompanying text, 2008, http://www.dtic.mil/dtic/tr/fulltext/u2/a534602.pdf.

[25] J. E. Buckner, Final Report, Vegetation Control Plan CY 68, 8-10. It should be noted that the allegation by US Korean Veterans that the two tactical herbicides were first sent to Camp Carroll is not supported by the messages, the required coordination time, or the on-site observations at the Korean DMZ.

[26] Procurement and shipping information was provided to the Multi-District Litigation in RE: Agent Orange Product Liability Litigation, Case MDL 381, closed May 1985. Records are archived at the Washington National Records Center, Suitland, MD, USA.

[27] J. E. Buckner, Final Report, Vegetation Control Plan CY 68, 7-8. Both Agents Orange and Blue were sprayed on the vegetation until saturated. This ensured complete coverage of the vegetation.

[28] T. Sypko, Korean DMZ Vets & Agent Orange, VFW Magazine, January 2004. Sypko incorrectly noted that Agent Orange was used from April 1968 through July 1969. This incorrect information was used in the determination by the US Department of Veterans Affairs in decisions on presumptive compensation.

[29] Editor Submission, USDA Moves to Tighten Pesticide Labeling Regulations, Agricultural Chemicals, October 1963, no. 38, pp 125-128. The revision of the regulations also required the use of appropriate foreign language version of the label, in addition to the English version.

[30] F. R. Gross, Command Agronomist, Report of Staff Visit to Japan and Korea, Director of Operations & Maintenance, DCS/Civil Engineering, Headquarters Pacific Air Force, 8 January 1968

[31] J. F. Adams, Pesticides and Pest Control Equipment: Information Concerning. Report NMFRL 3900.3, Naval Medical Field Research Laboratory, Camp LeJeune, NC, USA, 1 August 1970.

[32] G. Reggiani, Historical overview of the controversy surrounding Agent Orange, Chapter 3 in A. L. Young and G. Reggiani, Agent Orange and Its Associated Dioxin: Assessment of a Controversy, Elsevier 1988. On 15 April 1970, the US Departments of Health, Education, and Welfare, Interior, Agriculture and Defense announced the immediate suspension of the major uses of 2,4,5-T. At the direction of the Department of Defense, RANCH HAND aircraft flew their last mission involving Agent Orange on 16 April 1970.

[33] Joint Message, Subject: Vegetation Control. The message also noted that personnel from Fort Detrick were evaluating soil applied herbicides. R. O Radke and R. A. Darrow, The Lateral and Vertical Movement of Four Herbicides Applied to a Grassland Soil, Technical Memorandum 212, Department of the Army, Fort Detrick, October 1970.

[34] Joint Message, Subject Herbicides. Monuron was routinely used in Vietnam as a soil sterilant for use around military facilities and fence lines. It was approved by Armed Forces Pest Management Board for use on US military bases.

[35] E. A. Lewis, Lt, US Army Chemical Corps, Summary of 1968 Vegetation Control Tests, US Army Advisory Group, Korea, and Office of the Senior Chemical Advisor, October 1968.

[36] B. F. Eldridge, AFPCB Recommended Statement on Use and Disposition of Pesticides. Information Service Division, Armed Forces Pest Management Board, US Army Garrison-Forest Glen, 2460 Linden Lane, Bldg 172,Silver Spring, MD1971.

[37] Department of Defense Instruction, Pest Control Operations at Military Installations. Directive 4150.7, The Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Installations and Logistics, Washington DC, 23 July 1964.

[38] USFK Regulation 700-17, Use of Herbicides in the Republic of Korea. This regulation was initially issued by HQ, United States Forces Korea, 12 March 1984.

[39] T.A. Miller, Problem Definition Study: Evaluation of Health and Hygiene Effects of the Disposal of Pesticides and Pesticide Containers. US Army Medical Environmental Engineering Research Unit, Edgewood Arsenal, MD, August 1972, http://www.dtic.mil/citations/AD0757603.

[40] R. W. Bovey, Uses of Phenoxy Herbicides and their methods of application, Chapter 3, IN: R. W. Bovey and A.L. Young, The Science of 2,4,5-T and Associated Phenoxy Herbicides, John Wiley & Sons, New York, 1980.

[41] M. Newton and L. A. Norris, Potential exposure of humans to 2,4,5-T and TCDD in the Oregon coast ranges, Fundamental and applied toxicology no. 4, pp 1:339-346, 1981.

[42] T. L. Lavy, J. S. Shepard, and J. D. Mattice, Exposure Measurements of Applicators Spraying (2,4,5-Trichlorophenoxy) acetic Acid in the Forest, Journal of agriculture and food chemistry, no. 28, pp 626-630, 1980. The oral LD50 for 2,4,5-T was 300 mg/kg for rats and 100 mg/kg for dogs. In a chronic 2-year feeding study, the no-effect level for 2,4,5-T was at a dosage rate of 3 mg/kg per day. The hazard to wildlife from 2,4,5-T at used and recommended rates was negligible.

[43] A. H. Smith, D. G. Patterson, Jr., M. L. Warner, R. MacKenzie, and L. L. Needham, Serum 2,3,7,8-Tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin Levels of New Zealand Pesticide Applicators and Their Implication for Cancer Hypothesis, Journal of the National Cancer Institute, no. 84 (2), pp 104-108. This lack of evidence does not mean that TCDD does not cause cancer, but the current science does not establish a cause and effect relationship.

[44] P. A. Buffler, M. E. Ginevan, J. S. Mandel, and D. K. Watkins, The Air Force Health Study: An Epidemiologic Retrospective, Annals of Epidemiology no. 21 (9), pp 673-687, 2011.

[45] A. L. Young, J. P. Giesy, P. D. Jones, and M. Newton, Environmental Fate and Bioavailability of Agent Orange and Its Associated Dioxin During the Vietnam War, Environmental Science & Pollution Research, no. 11 (6) pp 359-370, 2004.