This record is a partial extract of the original cable. The full text of the original cable is not available.

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 08 HANOI 000923 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED 
 
DEPT FOR EAP/BCLTV (EDUNLAP), OES/STC (BPERRY), 
     STAS (GATKINSON), EAP/RSP, EAP/PD, AND OES/PCI 
DEPT PASS HHS FOR OGHA/STEIGER; NIH/FIC/GKEUSCH; 
     NIH/NIEHS/KOLDEN, ASASSAMAN; CDC/OGH/BLOUNT; 
     CDC/CEH/SINKS, BARRETT, NEEDHAM; FDA/OIA/WBATTS 
DEPT PASS USAID FOR G/ENV, G/H 
DEPT PASS EPA FOR ORD/WFARLAND 
DEPT PASS OSTP FOR WGAINES 
BANGKOK FOR REO 
SECDEF ALSO FOR ISA/AP/LSTERN AND ES/WVAN HOUTEN 
USDA FOR FAA/AO/SSAP/HEUTE, ITP/ODA/SHEIKH 
NSC FOR BEARDSWORTH 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV PREL TBIO VM
SUBJECT:  JOINT RESEARCH ON HEALTH/ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS OF 
AGENT ORANGE/DIOXIN - UPDATED STATUS REPORT 
 
SENSITIVE BUT UNCLASSIFIED - PLEASE PROTECT ACCORDINGLY 
 
REF:  USDAO U-066-04, dated 01 March 2004 
 
¶1.  (U)  This is an action cable.  Embassy recommends that 
the USG Agent Orange/Dioxin Interagency Working Group meet 
to review and discuss the contents of this cable. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) SUMMARY:  More than two years after the March 2002 
signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to address 
joint research on health, environmental and ecological 
effects of dioxin and Agent Orange in Vietnam, U.S. and 
Vietnamese researchers have made some tangible progress in 
the one environmental research project being conducted at a 
dioxin "hot spot" in Da Nang Airbase.  The only progress in 
health research, however, has been to budge the Vietnamese 
bureaucracy to review, but not yet approve, the one small 
pilot case control study to evaluate some birth defects. 
Highlights of activities and events over the past 12 months 
include the following. 
 
    --Environment:  Since October 2001, the U.S. 
Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) and the Vietnam 
Academy of Science and Technology (VAST) (formerly, the 
National Center for Natural Sciences and Technology - NCST) 
have been engaged in a collaborative program.  The program 
is designed to characterize the nature of dioxin 
contamination in soil and to select remediation methods 
suitable to the task as well as to GVN budget constraints 
and the target 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (2,3,7,8- 
TCDD) concentrations in soil established by the GVN.  To 
date, the collaboration is moving forward with the 
installation of the Gas Chromatograph/Mass Spectrometer 
(GC/MS) at VAST planned for spring 2004 and development of 
the site characterization plan for the dioxin "hot spot" in 
Da Nang. 
 
    --Health:  In January 2003, NIEHS approved funding for 
the State University of New York at Albany (Albany 
University) in collaboration with Vietnam's Ministry of 
Health (MOH) to conduct a small pilot case control study to 
evaluate some birth defects with respect to maternal and 
paternal serum 2,3,7,8-TCDD concentrations.  As of March 
2004, the research proposal had undergone "expert" review by 
the MOH, but had not yet reached Vietnam's National Steering 
Committee 33, the interagency entity that controls/approves 
all activities related to Agent Orange.  Post expects a long 
delay in receiving the approval from Committee 33.  In fact, 
we would not be surprised if the Vietnamese make substantive 
changes to the proposal that will be unacceptable to NIEHS. 
In January 2004, NIEHS conveyed to MOH and to Minister of 
Natural Resources and Environment Mai Ai Truc, who serves as 
Chairman of Committee 33, that NIEHS may not be able to hold 
the funds targeted for this project much longer.  The 
funding, approximately USD 3,000,000, has been set aside but 
not released to the vendors.  (COMMENT:  In March 2003, 
Embassy's assessment was that the GVN would attempt to 
control, disrupt, or block any research project that could 
potentially produce scientific evidence that refuted the 
GVN's allegations of broad, catastrophic damage to the 
health of Vietnamese citizens, especially birth defects. 
One year later, this assessment has not been proven wrong. 
Committee 33's response/comments on the health research 
project will provide valuable insights into Vietnamese 
attitudes and intentions.  END COMMENT.) 
 
     -- Lawsuit and Intensified Media Campaign:  In 
conjunction with a lawsuit filed in a New York City court in 
January 2004 by the newly created "Vietnam Association for 
Agent Orange Victims" (VAAOV), the state-run media has been 
running a series of reports about Agent Orange "victims" and 
showing pictures of children and adults with obvious mental 
and physical disabilities attributing the disabilities to 
Agent Orange.  These and other articles directly state or 
imply that the USG should provide "compensation" or "take 
responsibility" for actions taken during the war, including 
supporting disabled children deemed victims of the war.  The 
media also now is reporting on an online petition sponsored 
by the Britain-Vietnam Friendship Association calling upon 
the U.S. President, government and responsible chemical 
companies to compensate Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange. 
(COMMENT:  The GVN continuously publicly calls upon for the 
U.S. to provide support for alleged Agent Orange victims, 
which it identifies without the backing of scientific 
evidence. These scientifically disingenuous comments may 
make it difficult for the GVN to support results of studies 
which may show these repeated statements false, the GVN's 
health system seriously flawed, and its use of the disabled 
for propaganda cynical. END COMMENT.) 
 
     --Ministry of Defense (MOD) Proposal to U.S. DOD: 
Reftel describes Vietnam MOD's proposal for U.S. DOD 
cooperation to "clean up and decontaminate toxins" - 
AO/dioxin and CS - used during the Vietnam War.  Embassy 
recommends that, if DOD decides to offer any assistance with 
AO/dioxin "hot spots," this assistance should be coordinated 
with USEPA and NIEHS and be focused on supplementing the 
ongoing program at the Da Nang site.  MOD has been a 
participant in that activity, and must continue to 
participate since the site is located on military property. 
MOD's proposal for cooperation on disposal of CS is not 
within the scope of ongoing programs related to AO/Dioxin 
and should be considered as a separate issue.  END SUMMARY 
 
¶3.  (U)  Provided below is a detailed review of the status 
of the joint research initiatives and programs conducted by 
USEPA and NIEHS with Vietnamese counterparts, as well as 
opinions/attitudes expressed by key Vietnamese players. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
U.S.-Vietnam Scientific Workshop on Methodologies of Dioxin 
Screening, Remediation and Site Characterization 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
 
¶4.  (U) From November 3-5, 2003, a workshop titled "U.S.- 
Vietnam Scientific Workshop on Methodologies of Dioxin 
Screening, Remediation and Site Characterization" was held 
in Hanoi.  The meeting was sponsored by the VAST (formerly 
(NCST) and NIEHS, USEPA, University of California at Davis 
(UC-Davis), Department of Civil and Environmental 
Engineering, Michigan State University (MSU), Office of 
International Studies and Programs, Michigan State 
University and the Ford Foundation.  Its purpose was to 
focus on three avenues of research: (1) development of 
bioanalytical and analytical methods to detect and/or 
estimate the relative biological and toxicological potency 
of samples containing dioxins and related chemicals; (2) 
examination of remediation methods to degrade and/or 
detoxify soil containing dioxins and related chemicals; (3) 
characterization of sites contaminated with dioxins and 
related chemicals; (4) and, development of safety and health 
guidelines to protect individuals working at contaminated 
sites.  Attendance was limited to U.S. and VN participants 
and invited guests.  Participants from VN included 
individuals from VAST, Hanoi National University, Ministry 
of Defense (MOD), Ministry of Health (MOH), Office 33, 
Vietnam Veterans Association, and Ministry of Science and 
Technology.  Participants from the U.S. included individuals 
from USG agencies, universities and private industry. 
¶5.  (U) During the workshop participants described analytic 
methods suitable for detection or measurement of dioxin in 
soil or other media including immunoassays, cell-based 
assays and chemical methods.  These methods may be used for 
screening for the presence of dioxin, measuring dioxin 
concentration in environmental and biologic media, and 
assessing conger-specific profiles. All may be applied to 
characterize the concentration and location of soil 
contamination.  Remediation approaches appropriate to 
reducing the concentration of contaminants include thermal, 
chemical, or biological degradation or containment and may 
involve one or a combination of methods. The Government of 
Vietnam expressed more interest in remediation methods that 
are less costly and somewhat less effective versus methods 
known to more completely clean up. They are also willing to 
apply less well tested/studied methods, e.g., biodegradation 
and isolation (less well studied and thought to be less 
costly) versus incineration (which has been determined to be 
effective and well-studied). 
 
¶6.  (U) The workshop recommendations noted that to identify 
the location(s) and concentration of dioxin in soil of the 
contaminated sites, the Vietnamese scientific and laboratory 
infrastructure must be augmented.  The necessary 
improvements include acquisition of appropriate instruments, 
identification of suitable and cost effective analytical 
methods and training in these methods.  In addition, some 
needs could be met by using existing programs that train 
individuals at the graduate level, e.g., U.S. AID programs 
and the Fogarty International Center.  Development of an 
academic consortium to aid in this process was thought to be 
instrumental in this process.  Recommended members of the 
consortium include UC-Davis, MSU, VAST, Institute of 
Biotechnology, universities and other organizations based in 
Vietnam.  This group would be structured to collaborate on 
research projects, the results of which would be published 
as joint publications in the international peer reviewed 
literature. 
 
¶7.  (U) Noteworthy recommendations and comments relevant to 
analytic methods and site characterization included the 
following.  USEPA would provide guidance on geostatistics 
and the selection and purchase of publicly available 
software for site characterization.  USEPA would also assist 
VAST in the development of the experimental design for 
logical bench/pilot testing.  Development of a good 
bioassay, validated by well known analytic methods, is 
critical to be able to analyze larger numbers of samples at 
lower cost.  Selection of remediation technologies should 
take into account both cost and effectiveness and that 
multiple treatment regimens could be utilized to obtain the 
desired treatment effect.  The types of treatment technology 
may differ based on the concentration and dispersal of 
contamination, e.g., concentrated (localized)  contamination 
versus dispersed contamination.  An international conference 
to describe and discuss the array of the most appropriate 
remediation technologies is necessary for the planning 
process.  The areas targeted for remediation are Da Nang 
airport, Bien Hoa Airport and Phu Cat.  USEPA and others 
would provide to Vietnamese partners occupational safety and 
health technology and information from publicly available 
websites, e.g., NIOSH, OSHA, ILO, WHO, and others; evaluate 
the possibility of translating suitable information and 
training materials into Vietnamese; and develop training and 
evaluation programs for researchers and site workers.  This 
will require working with partners in Vietnam - these 
individuals have not yet been identified.  Share existing 
technology for protecting workers employed to clean up 
contaminated waste sites. 
 
¶8.  (U) The remediation cleanup standard accepted by GVN is 
1000 ppt (parts per trillion) for non-agricultural use 
(military or industrial) and is 100 ppt for agricultural or 
residential use.  The GVN has agreed that the targeted goal 
for "cleanup" for Da Nang is 1000 ppt, 2378-TCDD, and that 
the target for completion of the clean up/remediation of Da 
Nang is 2005. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ---------- 
USEPA Collaboration with Vietnam Academy of Science and 
Technology (VAST) 
--------------------------------------------- ----------- 
 
¶9.  (U) Since October 2001, the USEPA has collaborated with 
VAST to transfer analytical technologies and training and to 
build laboratory capacity at VAST.  These activities 
included assistance in the selection of appropriate 
analytical techniques to detect concentration of dioxin in 
soil, provision of training to VAST scientists in Hawaii on 
the selected analytic techniques, and the transfer of a 
functioning high resolution GC/MS from the United States, 
glassware and reagents to Vietnam at no cost to VAST or the 
Government of Vietnam. 
 
¶10.  (U) In a follow-up meeting on November 7, 2003, with 
Dr. Dang Vu Minh, President of the Vietnam Academy of 
Science and Technology, Dr. William Farland, Acting Deputy 
Assistant Administrator for Science, Office of Research and 
Development, USEPA, described the status of the USEPA-VAST 
collaboration.  He reported that USEPA is installing the 
CALUX Assay at VAST and that USEPA is providing VAST 
capacity (financial support) to purchase 1500 CALUX tests 
over the next 2 years and the necessary training and 
consultations.  USEPA is purchasing a license for the CALUX 
Assay. The CALUX assay is a short-term test that can 
identify the presence of 2,3,7,8-TCDD in soil.  Once 
obtained, the license will be transferred to VAST.  There is 
precedence for a U.S. agency to award such a contract for 
the benefit of another country.  The license will also 
include training of Vietnamese scientists on the CALUX and 
expert consultation for two years.  Although the USEPA will 
provide 2 years of support and sufficient capacity to 
analyze 1500 soil samples with CALUX, they will not act as 
mediator once the license is obtained for VAST.  In January 
2004, USEPA awarded the contract for the installation and 
calibration of the GCMS.  If all goes according to plan, the 
GCMS should be operational by the middle of April 2004. 
 
¶11.  (U) USEPA is also working with VAST to design the site 
characterization plan for sampling at the Da Nang Airport 
site.  The following activities are to be completed prior to 
finalization of the plan:  complete analysis and preparation 
of the report on ten soil samples for dioxin levels analyzed 
in Vietnam and U.S.; develop Da Nang Site Characterization 
Plan; obtain site Access and permission to sample; obtain 
site Map with GPS coordinates; develop sampling design and 
sampling grid; develop plans for sampling and analysis 
(phased design), quality assurance/quality control, health 
and safety program (heat, chemical, UXO hazards); develop 
plans for sample preparation/archiving, sample analysis, 
data analysis, evaluation and interpretation of results. 
Currently, the tasks listed above are being developed but 
have not been completed or vetted by all collaborating 
parties.  The next steps in the process include: 
identification of mechanisms for further training/experience 
with analytical techniques; transfer of CALUX Assay 
capability including further training and sampling capacity 
and training of VAST staff on the GC/MS. 
 
¶12.  (U) Discussions about how and where to take samples at 
the Da Nang site identified the following issues:  USEPA 
volunteered to identify and provide new GIS software to map 
the contaminated site and to accurately position sampling 
locations.  Surface sampling and sampling of streams flowing 
from the site was more important than deep sampling because, 
although dioxin contamination may be as deep as one meter, 
streams move contaminated surface soil from the site to 
other areas, including lakes.  Deep contamination is less 
likely to be disturbed.  Before any samples can be taken at 
any site it is necessary to obtain permission from the MOD. 
Dr. Minh indicated that he would help smooth the way.  We do 
not know if this has happened.  USEPA and NIEHS 
representatives suggest that Vietnam consider preserving a 
part of the contaminated area as a "natural resource".  This 
area would not be part of the remediated area, but would be 
used to pilot test new remediation methods as they are 
developed. 
 
¶13.  (U) A number of reputable laboratories have developed 
validated techniques for analysis of dioxins and related 
chemicals contained in a variety of media, e.g, soil, serum, 
tissue, plant material.  Dr. Minh said VAST will focus first 
on gaining expertise for techniques for the analysis of 
dioxin in soil, food or other media where dioxin 
concentrations are moderate.  He indicated that analysis of 
medium containing low concentration of dioxins, such as in 
human serum, is difficult to conduct and takes considerable 
experience.  In addition, prior to analyzing the 
concentration of dioxins, it must be abstracted from the 
medium.  Currently, VAST does not have the facilities to 
extract dioxin from soil and need to have more extensive 
extraction process for analysis by GCMS.  Dr. Farland 
indicated that USEPA might be able to bring someone to 
Vietnam from the USEPA who is knowledgeable in extraction 
methods to train the Vietnamese scientists in the 
methodology.  Dr. Minh also noted that he wants VAST to 
build capacity at the remediation site, e.g., Da Nang that 
is to establish a mobile testing lab.  The CALUX assay has 
been validated under field conditions, and, thus can be 
performed at the site. 
 
¶14.  (U) In 2002, VAST and USEPA scientists took soil 
samples from the Da Nang site to begin the characterization 
process and to begin training VAST scientists on the short- 
term assays, e.g., CALUX and immunobioassays.  Split samples 
were shipped to the U.S. and analyzed by GCMS for a number 
of analytes including dioxins and furans.  The USEPA 
produced a complete report.  VAST was supposed to have the 
split samples kept by the Vietnamese analyzed at an 
independent laboratory; however, this was not accomplished 
due to the lack of funding. 
¶15.  (U) VAST and USEPA set a tentative date for the 
inauguration of the HRGC/MS and site characterization at the 
Da Nang airport for the first week in April 2004.  This may 
not happen in this time frame for several reasons.  The 
installation and calibration of the HRGC/MS was delayed due 
the refusal of the installation contractor to travel to 
Vietnam due to the Avian Influenza outbreak and the need for 
extra paperwork to import a pump oil. 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
Request from Committee 33 for Report of Past and Proposed 
Activities of USEPA and VAST 
--------------------------------------------- ------------ 
 
¶16.  (SBU) On March 4, 2004, Dr. Ha informed Embassy Health 
Attache, that Minister Truc requested an accounting of all 
work that had been accomplished on Project 2, the site 
characterization and remediation methods development 
project, and what was planned, including the amount spent on 
the project and the amount planned to be spent. Scientists 
from the USEPA are preparing the U.S. report based on 
detailed project meeting reports.  VAST scientists also 
explained that the funding information from the U.S. would 
permit the GVN to provide similar funding to VAST.  The date 
for completion of the report is open.  However, it appears 
that Committee 33 might not permit the Da Nang project to 
move forward until this document is received. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
Activities related to NIEHS-funded Birth Defects Study 
--------------------------------------------- --------- 
 
¶17.  (SBU) On November 8, 2003, Dr. Anne Sassaman, Director, 
Extramural Grant Program, NIEHS, and Embassy Health Attache, 
and Embassy EST Officer met with Minister Truc, Minister of 
Natural Resources and the Environment and Chairperson of 
Committee 33.  Dr. Sassaman requested the meeting because of 
the very long delays in the GVN review of the proposal and 
the resulting delay in the start of the study.  Minister 
Truc said he has the responsibility to coordinate all 
stakeholders in order to have a scientific assessment of the 
consequences of Agent Orange in Vietnam.  He continued by 
saying, "Everything must be done on a scientific basis," and 
expressed appreciation for the contribution of U.S. 
scientists.  Dr. Sassaman said that the USG wanted to make 
progress on the activities specified in the MOU, 
specifically regarding the health study.  One issue was the 
lack of the establishment of a Joint Committee, which was 
included in the MOU per the request of the Vietnamese 
negotiators.  The U.S. has named members to the Joint 
Committee; Vietnamese have not appointed their members. 
Minister Truc said that the lack of a joint committee was a 
stumbling block but that the key question was how to 
organize the research in an effective way.  One problem he 
saw was that people were waiting for answers and that the 
research took too long and that the research time should be 
shortened.  Dr Sassaman reiterated that the U.S. was anxious 
to get the birth defects study started and wanted to know if 
there were any problems that the Vietnamese had with the 
study.  He did not seem to know the answer.  Mr. Truc did 
not give an indication that he would facilitate the MOH and 
Committee 33 review process, which may prove to a stumbling 
block in the progress of the project. 
 
¶18.  (SBU) On November 11, 2003, Dr. Sassaman, NIEHS 
official Dr. Christopher Portier, and Embassy Health Attache 
met with Dr. Nguyen Van Tuong, GVN co-investigator of the 
human birth defects study in order to review the progress of 
the human health study of selected birth defects to be 
funded by NIEHS.  (NOTE:  As background, Dr. David Carpenter 
of the State University of New York at Albany (University at 
Albany) submitted a short proposal to conduct a pilot case 
control study to evaluate selected birth defects in relation 
to maternal serum dioxin concentrations.  The proposal was 
reviewed according to NIH guidelines, revised accordingly 
and approved in late 2002; after which, NIEHS signed a 
cooperative agreement with Dr. Carpenter.  Dr. Tuong 
received the proposal in September 2002 and, in January 2003 
requested that four more Vietnamese scientists be added to 
the study and that four additional hospitals be added to the 
proposed two.  END NOTE.)  A key reason for the meeting was 
determine the reason for the long delay in receiving 
approval from the GVN to proceed with the pilot study.  Dr. 
Tuong described the lengthy GVN review process, which is 
largely due to the number of ministries, agencies and 
committees that are separately involved, specifically: 
Committee 33; MOH Science and Bioethics committees; MOH; 
Vietnamese Experts; MOH; Committee 33.  To date, the pilot 
study proposal has undergone review through the Vietnamese 
Expert Committee and is now waiting the review and approval 
of Vice Minister of Health Prof. Le Ngoc Trong; the final 
review and approval is completed by Committee 33.  How long 
Committee 33 will hold onto the proposal is unknown.  So 
far, the GVN has had the proposal for more than one year and 
has known its contents for longer than that. 
 
¶19.  (SBU) A key component of the study is the verification 
of the serum 2,3,7,8-TCDD levels of both the mother and the 
father of the cases and controls included the study. 
Without these data, exposure assessment would be not be as 
strong and would weaken any results of the epidemiologic 
study. The serum 2,3,7,8-TCDD levels are a more objective 
measure of environmental exposure than personal histories or 
residential history.  Given the lawsuit of the VAAOV and the 
attendant worldwide propaganda campaign (see Paragraph 20 
below), self-reported exposure history for both the cases 
and controls will most likely be highly biased.  USG has 
pressed Dr. Tuong for assurances that the serum 2,3,7,8-TCDD 
samples will be analyzed by laboratories both within Vietnam 
and in an accredited laboratory outside the country.  Dr. 
Carpenter has already contracted with an accredited 
laboratory in Canada.  There is concern, because in the 
past, the GVN has not permitted human serum 2,3,7,8-TCDD 
from leaving the country and, currently, there are no 
laboratories within Vietnam that have the expertise, 
equipment or facilities to measure low concentrations of 
2,3,7,8-TCDD in the picogram per gram of lipid range. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
Lawsuit by the Vietnam Association for Agent Orange Victims 
--------------------------------------------- -------------- 
 
¶20.  (SBU) On January 30, 2004, the newly created "Vietnam 
Association for Agent Orange Victims" (VAAOV) - an entity 
sanctioned by, and probably directed by, both the GVN and 
the Communist Party of Vietnam - filed suit against U.S. 
chemical companies.  The suit was on behalf of three 
individuals from Vietnam contending that they or their 
offspring suffered health affects of exposure to Agent 
Orange.  The lawsuit demanded compensation from the 
companies that produced Agent Orange.  Former Vice-President 
Nguyen Thi Binh and the Vietnam Red Cross Director have been 
identified as key players in VAAOV.  In conjunction with 
this legal suit, the Vietnamese media has intensified, after 
a lull, its propaganda campaign on the AO issues.  The press 
has printed weekly, if not daily, articles on this issue. 
Many of the articles appear aimed at soliciting donations 
for the support of alleged victims of Agent Orange.  The 
reports show pictures of individuals, children and adults, 
with all types of disabilities attributing them to the last 
effects of Agent Orange, regardless of the all the possible 
causes of the many types of birth and congenital 
disabilities.  (COMMENT:  Birth defects may be caused by a 
host of factors some related to the parents and others 
relating to the developing fetus.  These factors may include 
the age of the mother and father, genetic factors, viral 
infections, maternal nutrition - both before and during 
pregnancy, environmental exposures, such as heavy metals and 
pesticides (both parents and during pregnancy), conditions 
during the birth process, e.g., anoxia, maternal health, 
e.g., preeclampsia, and others.  END COMMENT.) 
 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
MINISTRY OF DEFENSE PROPOSAL TO U.S. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE 
--------------------------------------------- ------------- 
 
¶21.  (SBU) Reftel relays a MOD proposal to DOD for 
cooperation in remediation of suspected AO/dioxin "hot 
spots" in three former military bases, including the site at 
Da Nang where USEPA and VAST are engaged in planning for the 
site characterization and pilot remediation project.  When 
presenting the proposal verbally to DATT and EST Officer, 
MOD personnel made no reference to the ongoing USEPA-VAST Da 
Nang project.  EST Officer explained the ongoing project and 
asked if MOD intended for its proposal to DOD to be an 
integral part of the ongoing activity, or to be an 
independent endeavor.  The MOD interlocutors, reluctantly 
acknowledging the ongoing activity, stated that MOD-DOD 
cooperation could supplement it.  (COMMENT:  MOD's 
cooperation is vital for the success of the EPA-VAST 
project.  MOD owns the property and thus controls access. 
END COMMENT)  Embassy recommends that if DOD is willing to 
engage MOD on the AO/dioxin issue by supporting remediation 
efforts, that engagement should be carried out in a 
coordination with EPA to support EPA's program in Da Nang. 
At this time, all USG efforts in environmental research 
related to AO/dioxin should be focused on the Da Nang 
project. 
PORTER