Agent Orange Issues & Information

[J.B. Stone]

Some useful contacts for important programs

December 18, 2011

Veterans Beat

by Ron Seman

The need to be informed about a myriad of veterans programs, from the local, state and national levels, keeps all of us in the dissemination of information business constantly on the watch for new, expanded or discontinued programs.

Individuals who work on the levels noted do their best to keep us up-to-date, but, at times we have to take the initiative to obtain the answers we want by contacting the seemingly endless number of agencies that work on our behalf.

With that in mind, here is a list of the information you can obtain by calling the following phone numbers for the Department of Veterans Affairs.

* VA Benefits: 800-827-1000. This number will assist you in getting information on Burial; Civilian Health Medical Programs of the VA (CHAMPVA); Death Pension; Dependency Indemnity Compensation; Direct Deposit; Directions to VA Benefits Regional Offices; Disability compensation; Disability Pensions, Education; Home Loan Guaranty; Life Insurance; Medical Care; and Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment.

* Beneficiaries in receipt of Pension Benefits: 877-294-6380.

* Education (GI Bill): 888-442-4551.

* Health Care Benefits: 877-222-8387.

* Income Verification and Means Testing: 800-929-8387.

* Life Insurance: 800-669-8477.

* Mammography Hotline: 888-492-7844.

* Special Issues -- Gulf War/Agent Orange/Project Shad/Mustard Agents and Lewisite/Ionizing Radiation: 800-749-8387.

* Status of Headstones and Markers: 1-800-697-6947.

* Telecommunications Device for the Deaf (TCD): 800-829-4833.

For health care services, in the Greater Cleveland area, contact the Louis Stokes VA Medical Center, 10701 East Blvd., Cleveland. Phone: 216-791-3800.

In addition, you can enlist the services of a Veterans Service Officer (VSO) who work at the job of assisting veterans everyday of the year. They are paid by their respective veterans organizations and are located in the A.J. Celebrezze Federal Building downtown at East 9th Street and Lakeside Avenue.

There is no charge for enlisting the assistance of the service officer. And you need not be a member of the organization that provides the help.

So, if you have a question about any veterans program, feel free to call one of these dedicated individuals, who by the way, are all veterans. The VSO can help you fill out VA forms, tell you about VA benefits, and provide a wide range of help for veterans and their dependents.

Don't be bashful about accepting the benefits and entitlements you earned as part of your service to this nation. You need not feel as though you are receiving "handouts."

Many state, county and local governments also have trained personnel in their veterans departments who can help. Check the government section of the telephone directory for these agencies in your area.

You may want to keep this column handy for future reference.

* American Legion: 216-522-3504.

* AMVETS: 216-522-3500.

* Disabled American Veterans: 216-522-3507.

* Jewish War Veterans: 216-522-2446.

* Military Order of the Purple Heart: 216-522-7237.

* Vietnam Veterans of America: 216-522-3119.

* VFW: 216-522-3510

* * *

Items for this column can be mailed to Ron Seman, 5811 Renwood Drive, Parma 44129, or email: SemanRJ@aol.com.

Remember our men and women serving America in Iraq, Afghanistan, Pakistan and at other posts around the globe. Keep them in your daily prayers.

I know many of our readers are engaged in the rush to finish their Christmas shopping and plan for the New Year celebration. So, let me, at this time, wish you and your families a Merry Christmas, Happy Hannukah, and Happy Kwanzaa!

Thanks for your generous support of the Veterans Beat column, and my mission to keep veterans and their families up-to-date on news that affects their lives. God bless.

http://www.tallmadgeexpress.com/news/article/5136455

[J.B. Stone]

Veterans ombudsman slams 'scandalous' Agent Orange compensation rules


By Natalie Stechyson, Postmedia News December 22, 2011

OTTAWA — Canada's veterans ombudsman stood up Thursday for the caregivers of those affected by Agent Orange who are being excluded from government payments.

Veterans Affairs Canada is denying claims from caregivers based on "very narrow" interpretations, Guy Parent said in a statement released Thursday. While no one questions the need for eligibility criteria, these criteria must respect the spirit of the legislation, Parent said.

"The definitions used by Veterans Affairs Canada would not withstand public or legal scrutiny. This is nothing short of scandalous," Parent said.

"One wonders how many other individuals have been denied the ex gratia payment unfairly."

The Agent Orange ex gratia payment program is meant to compensate those who were exposed to the defoliant chemical and are suffering from medical conditions related to the testing. The spray program took place at Canadian Forces Base Gagetown in New Brunswick in 1966 and 1967. The program allows primary caregivers to apply on behalf of an individual who would have been eligible but died.

Jean-Christophe de le Rue, a spokesman for Veterans Affairs Minister Steven Blaney, said the government promised to deal with the Agent Orange issue and has delivered on that promise.

In 2007, the government announced a $20,000 ex gratia payment. In 2010, the government enhanced the eligibility criteria and extended the deadline for a medical diagnosis and the deadline for applications to June 30, 2011, de la Rue pointed out.

"We went beyond our initial commitment by providing additional funds to the program to ensure all those who are eligible for the ex-gratia payment receive it," he said in an email to Postmedia News.

"Until December 31, 2011, Minister Blaney will continue to monitor cases to ensure fair and accurate decisions are being made. This is concrete proof that our government is delivering transparent and measurable results for our veterans and their families."

The office of the ombudsman has received a number of requests for help by people whose applications have been denied, Parent said. In one instance, the widow of a former soldier was denied payment because her husband of 50 years was living in a long-term care facility at the time of his death.

One of the criteria is that the primary caregiver must have been living in the same home as the deceased for at least one year prior to that person's death and was primarily responsible for caring for the individual.

"The widow in question ensured that her husband received the care that he needed by placing him in a facility when she could no longer care for him at home, and she visited that facility every day to assist staff where possible," Parent said. "Unfortunately, the department narrowly has interpreted the order in council to mean that care must be provided directly by the caregiver."

Parent also raised the case for individuals who have been denied because of late applications.

Read more: http://www.canada.com/health/Veterans+o ... z1hMyJp4lF

[J.B. Stone]

America's farmlands to be carpet-bombed with Vietnam-era Agent Orange chemical if Dow petition approved

Tuesday, December 27, 2011
by Mike Adams, the Health Ranger
Editor of NaturalNews.com

(NaturalNews) A key chemical of one of the most horrifying elements of the Vietnam War -- Agent Orange -- may soon be unleashed on America's farmlands. Considered by world nations to be a "Weapon of Mass Destruction" (WMD), Agent Orange was dropped in the millions of gallons on civilian populations during the Vietnam War in order to destroy foliage and poison North Vietnamese soldiers. The former president of the Vietnamese Red Cross, Professor Nhan, described it as, "...a massive violation of human rights of the civilian population, and a weapon of mass destruction."

A key chemical in that weapon -- 2,4-D -- is just months away from being dropped on agricultural land across the United States. Dow AgroSciences, which along with DuPont and Monsanto is heavily invested in genetically engineered crops, has petitioned the U.S. government to deregulate a variety of GE corn that's resistant to 2,4-D, which comprises 50% of the recipe of Agent Orange.

NaturalNews broke this story yesterday and published the details:
http://www.naturalnews.com/034492_D...

If the petition is approved by Washington, it would turn America's corn fields into chemical warfare zones targeted for mass pesticide poisoning with 2,4-D chemicals. The corn, of course, would be immune to 2,4-D, so it would uptake the chemical and transport it right into the structure of the corn kernels, creating "Agent Orange corn bombs" that would be chemically unleashed when consumed by human beings.

This is just the latest example of how industrial chemical giants and GMO companies of the world are committing acts of genocide against innocents. The introduction of 2,4-D-resistant GE corn is, essentially, an act of war against humanity.

Food crops sprayed with chemical weapons
Agent Orange, which contains roughly 50% 2,4-D, is also cited in numerous war crimes lawsuits. Even the BBC has reported on it:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3...

The use of such chemicals on civilian targets is a violation of the 1907 Hague Convention, the 1927 Geneva Convention, and the 1949 Geneva Convention (http://www.iadllaw.org/en/node/353).

The International Tribunal of Conscience in Support of the Vietnamese Victims of Agent Orange has published a document briefly describing the war crimes committed by the U.S. government in its use of Agent Orange: http://www.iadllaw.org/files/charge...

That document states:

The chemical warfare waged by the United States against Vietnam though the use of Agent Orange and other dioxin laced chemicals from 1961 to 1971 has caused severe, massive and prolonged consequences for the environment, ecology and health of the people of Vietnam.

See the photos of Agent Orange victims
Shocking pictures of Agent Orange victims can be seen at the following pages (WARNING, extremely graphic):
http://oraclesyndicate.twoday.net/s...

http://www.spingola.com/power_elite...

http://antiwar.com/orig/austin.php?...

http://legacy.bhopal.net/opinions/a...

http://vietnamartwork.wordpress.com...

http://www.veteranstoday.com/2010/0...

http://thetheologianscafe.xanga.com...

http://www.commondreams.org/headlin...

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3...

Watch the video of children affected by Agent Orange:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9zay...

Hear the Agent Orange song by Country Joe. Visit: http://countryjoe.com/jukebox.htm and click on "Agent Orange Song" on the top left. You'll be able to hear the full song.

First Vietnam, now America
Even walking around America today, many Americans are born as mutants thanks to the chemicals used in foods, medicines, lawn care and personal care products. That crime against humanity is about to be made far, far worse with the unleashing of 2,4-D on America's farmlands.

The gross deformities, birth defects, neurological disorders and physical retardation we have seen in Vietnamese children affected by Agent Orange could soon arrive at America's doorstep thanks to 2,4-D.

Dow, of course, is widely regarded as one of the most evil corporations on the planet, having already poisoned countless victims with toxic chemicals. Remember the Bhopal pesticide factory explosion in India? That was Union Carbide, owned by Dow. It killed thousands of people, maimed tens of thousands and injured over half a million (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bhopal...).

Read more about Bhopal: http://news.bbc.co.uk/onthisday/hi/...

And learn more about Dow here:
http://www.thetruthaboutdow.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dow_Ch...

Remember: If chemical weapons are used to produce food, then those who consume such foods become casualties of war.

Food production was once an honorable art, but at the hands of greed-driven globalists, it quickly became a system of profit seeking and then a tool for corporate domination over the People. Now it has become a weapon of mass destruction, and it is being used to decimate the health of both the population and the farmlands.

Learn more: http://www.naturalnews.com/034500_Agent ... z1hlqmB6Qw

[J.B. Stone]

Ottawa to reverse 30 rejections for Agent Orange payouts

By Natalie Stechyson, Postmedia News December 30, 2011

OTTAWA — Grant Pye will be waiting anxiously by his phone for the next few days to see if he's one of the 30 people whose previously rejected Agent Orange compensation claims will be reversed.

Pye, 58, has diabetes and nerve damage in both of his arms. He spent all his summers and weekends at his family property in New Brunswick just a kilometre outside Canadian Forces Base Gagetown. Despite proving his illnesses are linked to the Agent Orange spray program that took place there in the late 1960s, Pye has been twice denied ex gratia payment because the summer home wasn't his residence.

While Pye is anxious to hear if he's one of the 30 whose cases have been reversed, he said he's having a hard time being hopeful.

"It's hard to trust the politicians. There are so many people who have been denied who should have got it," Pye said from his home in Pleasant Villa, N.B.

In the face of mounting pressure and after consultations with local MPs, the federal government wrote cheques Friday for 30 Canadians affected by the chemical that were previously rejected for ex gratia compensation.

Veterans Affairs Minister Steven Blaney decided to be more flexible about some of the criteria and the department couldn't ignore the outcry about those whose claims were previously rejected, government sources told Postmedia News.

"Our government promised to deal with the Agent Orange issue and we are delivering on this promise," Codie Taylor, a spokeswoman for Blaney, said in an email.

"Member of Parliament John Williamson has been working closely with Minister Blaney over the last few weeks, providing firsthand knowledge on a number of cases. As a result, Minister Blaney has instructed officials to review certain cases with more compassion."

The reversal means 13 people rejected for filing late and 17 who filed for primary caregiver compensation will soon be getting $20,000 cheques. And the number of people whose cases will be reversed could grow.

The Agent Orange ex gratia payment program is meant to compensate those who were exposed to the defoliant chemical and are suffering from medical conditions related to the spray program that took place at CFB Gagetown in 1966 and 1967. The program allows primary caregivers to apply on behalf of an individual who would have been eligible but died.

Over the past few weeks many of those whose claims have been rejected have spoken out.

On Tuesday, NDP veterans affairs critic Peter Stoffer said the decision to deny a 74-year-old widow's claim for Agent Orange compensation is "cruel" and is another example of why a public inquiry is needed. The widow had been denied payment because her husband of more than 50 years had been living in a long term care facility at the time of his death.

Last week, Canada's veterans ombudsman Guy Parent stepped forward on behalf of those who have been denied ex gratia payments, calling the criteria used for primary caregivers "scandalous."

Parent said Friday that he was pleased the federal government has decided to take some action, but that ex gratia payments are only a part of the Agent Orange battle for veterans and their loved ones.

"We have a long way to go in terms of recognizing the health studies that have been done in regards to Agent Orange," Parent said.

"It's certainly a positive move on the part of the Department of Veterans Affairs and this time of year, for the families, it's certainly going to be well received. We're satisfied that at least we've had some input and something's come out of it."

Those whose rejections have been reversed will be notified once their payments have been processed.

While Pye's case doesn't necessarily fall under the changes being made, he said he is still going to wait by the phone.

"I proved that I have the illnesses. I proved that I was there. That should be enough."
http://www.canada.com/health/Ottawa+rev ... story.html

[J.B. Stone]

Federal reversal on Agent Orange

Originally rejected claims to be paid out

By: Stephanie Levitz
Winnipeg Free Press - PRINT EDITION
Posted: 12/31/2011

OTTAWA — The federal government is reversing a decision to reject compensation for dozens of Canadians affected by the spraying of Agent Orange.

Approximately 30 people will now receive payments under the program, which is meant to compensate soldiers and their families exposed to the defoliant in the 1960s who later became ill.

A number of families had gone public in recent weeks with their bureaucratic battles over the funds and the Veterans Ombudsman publicly rebuked the government for its handling of the file, saying the rules were being applied too restrictively.

Government sources say the number of complaints they’ve received led to a review of what one admitted was a "less than perfect" program.

Those people who are eligible for a payment but filed an application past the June 30, 2011 deadline will now receive funds.

The government is also loosening its application of rules on compensation for primary caregivers.

In one case, a widow, Pauline Kelly, was denied payment because her husband died in a nursing home and the couple of 50 years was technically not living together.

She and others like her could now receive funds. They will be informed via letter in the coming days.

A Winnipeg woman dying of lung cancer she says was caused by Agent Orange spraying was also struggling in her bid for compensation because she was diagnosed months after a deadline.

"It’s not so much the money," said Debbie Bertrand, 57, earlier this month. "The money would have been nice to put my affairs in order, but it’s more that the government has a responsibility to each individual person and not to put a date on it."

MPs representing constituents affected by the rejection claims had also been raising concerns with Veterans Affairs Minister Steven Blaney, his spokeswoman said.

"As a result, Minister Blaney has instructed officials to review certain cases with more compassion," Codie Taylor said in an e-mail.

"This is just another way our government is standing up for Canadians."

NDP Veterans Affairs critic Peter Stoffer said while the policy change is welcome, it shouldn’t have taken public outcry.

"Every single time the government reacts," he said. "They should be proactive. They just have to look at it and use some common sense and compassion."

Agent Orange was part of a toxic cocktail of herbicides sprayed at CFB Gagetown in 1966 and 1967 by the U.S. military, with permission from Canada.

It’s now known that exposure can lead to skin disorders, liver problems and certain types of cancers.

— The Canadian Press with files from Postmedia News

[J.B. Stone]

Toxic 'Agent Orange' sprayed in B.C.: documents
http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/loca ... lumbiaHome
By: Jon Woodward, ctvbc.ca

Date: Wednesday Apr. 4, 2012 1:04 PM PT

The cancer-causing herbicides dubbed "Agent Orange" were sprayed by the B.C. government during the ‘60s and ‘70s, according to documents obtained by CTV News.

Records show tens of thousands of gallons of the toxic mixture were applied to clear brush near highways and along power lines in the late 1960s and early 1970s – and in some cases the substance was sprayed next to homes.

"It was a real strong smell. You couldn't get away from that smell. We smelt that for a year straight in our house, couldn't get rid of it," recalled former Cherryville resident Larry Heal, who remembers a BC Hydro crew spraying a pungent chemical along the high voltage power lines next to his family's home.

"All that stuff went into the creek, so we drank it. All that stuff got in the cow, and we drank the milk. Our clothes were washed in it, our dishes were washed in it," he recalled. "We didn't know what it was."

Heal says more than three decades later his sister has died of adrenal cancer, and he has contracted a yet-to-be explained problem with his nervous system.

"I feel disgusted. I fought pain all my life, and I never knew why," he said, adding he hopes the government will probe the use of the chemicals and compensate those affected.

A CTV News investigation uncovered several hundred pages of documents that show the routine process by which district engineers ordered the chemicals 2-4-D and 2-4-5-T in 45-gallon drums.

The combination of those two herbicides in equal parts comprised Agent Orange, which was used to strip jungle cover and expose North Vietnamese fighters during the Vietnam War. Some 12 million gallons were sprayed over the Vietnamese jungle and the chemical has become notorious for its connection to cancer and birth defects among Vietnamese children.

In 1970, a study showed that dioxin-tainted 2-4-5-T caused birth defects in laboratory animals. After that, the U.S. military stopped using Agent Orange in Vietnam. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, some 50 diseases and medical conditions are associated with exposure to the chemical.

While 2-4-D is still used today, 2-4-5-T use is major health hazard because it was contaminated with dioxin, according to Agent Orange expert Wayne Dwenychuk.

Dioxin is a potent carcinogen that can lead to a number of health problems, including cancer and neurological diseases, and is banned in Canada today, Dwenychuk said.

"If they used 2-4-5-T through B.C., they were spreading dioxin; there's no doubt in my mind," he said, adding that the biggest concern is for those who were employed by the government to apply the herbicide.

In B.C., the mix of 2-4-D and 2-4-5-T was called "Type B Weed and Brush Killer" in government invoices. Sometimes, the engineers ordered 2-4-5-T by itself, and dubbed it "Type C Weed and Brush Killer."

In total, about 26,000 gallons of Type B Weed and Brush Killer were ordered between 1965 and 1972. About 10,000 gallons of Type C Weed and Brush Killer were ordered in the same time period. The barrels were shipped to all four of the regions of B.C. as designated by the Ministry of Highways: Kamloops, Nelson, Prince George and Vancouver.

Simon Fraser University epidemiologist Scott Venners told CTV News that dioxin latches onto fat cells and can stay in the body for a long time. He said it's possible even a single large exposure could cause lasting disease.

"If you had exposure to dioxin it's plausible you could have health effects, cancer, fertility and immune system problems," he said.

It's possible that some of the chemical remains in the sprayed areas today, he said.

In the early 1970s, several community groups wrote the Ministry of Highways to complain about the use of 2-4-5-T by the government, the documents show. The ministry responded by slapping a ban on herbicides on highway rights-of-way in 1973.

But that left about 6,000 gallons of toxic herbicides in stock, a letter from Michel Pope, Senior Landscape Supervisor, says on April 2, 1975.

"The department had a considerable amount of herbicides in stock and this has been retained in the event that the ban might be lifted," he writes. "However, the containers in which the material is stored are beginning to deteriorate to the point where certain environmental damage might occur."

The BC Hydro and Power Authority was willing to buy all of the chemicals at "half price," he wrote.

In 1976, documents from BC Hydro show 2-4-5-T and 2-4-D was sprayed along Hydro lines Vernon-Monashee and Nicola-Brenda circuits, including the area next to Larry Heal's house.

The documents also say "brushkiller" was sprayed in Pemberton and Daisy Lake.

When CTV News first contacted BC Hydro about spraying, a spokesperson denied ever using the chemicals, saying in an email "Historical Hydro data indicates that BC Hydro has never used Agent Orange."

Two months later, after CTV News obtained the documents under the Freedom of Information Act, the utility admitted using 2-4-D and 2-4-5-T until September 1976. It said "brushkiller" was 2-4-D but may have contained 2-4-5-T. "There are no more details available about this," a Hydro spokesperson said.

But executive vice-president Greg Reimer said that doesn't mean the agency used "Agent Orange."

"BC Hydro never used Agent Orange…in performing vegetation management on the provincial electricity system," Reimer said in a written statement.

Dwernychuk said Hydro is splitting hairs.

"If Hydro used a mixture of 2-4-D and 2-4-5-T in a one-to-one proportion, it was, for all intents and purposes, Agent Orange," he said.

B.C.'s Ministry of Transportation also denied that Agent Orange was ever used in the province., but admitted using 2-4-5-T and 2-4-D. In 1978, 2-4-5-T was prohibited by the B.C. Ministry of Environment.

The chemical 2-4-5-T was banned by the Canadian government in 1985.

Faced with similar stories of cancer stemming from exposure to 2-4-5-T, the province of Ontario has organized a fact-finding panel to find out just how much of the chemical was sprayed around the province in the 1950s and 1960s. Results from that panel are expected in June.

If you have a story for the Investigators, e-mail us at investigate@ctv.ca or call 604-609-6333.

[J.B. Stone]

Veterans Talk About How Agent Orange Affected Them After The War
10:04 PM, Mar 31, 2012
Written by Carol Andrews

VIDEO: http://www.digtriad.com/news/local/stor ... yid=222793

Concord, NC -- There was more than celebration, 40 years after our troops came home from the Vietnam War. Today, many were talking of those lost as a result of Agent Orange.

According to theUS Department of Veterans Affairs The U.S. military sprayed millions of gallons of Agent Orange and other herbicides on trees and vegetation during the Vietnam War.

Veterans say they are still suffering from the exposure.

John Williams was in Vietnam from 1970-1971.

"I remember sitting on a fire base that we had started building and watching a helicopter fly around spraying that stuff and thinking to myself if it's killing trees, it can't be good for us," said Williams.

Veterans fought for years to get treatment for the various veteran's diseases linked to Agent Orange. The VA is also equipped to treat children of Vietnam Vets who may have suffered birth defects as a result of their parent's exposure.

The VA isn't the only place veterans are going for help. Military Missions in Action is another group out there hoping to help veterans get the assistance they need as a thank you for the service rendered to this country.

[J.B. Stone]

Agent Orange Was Sprayed in B.C.


http://www.ctvbc.ctv.ca/servlet/an/loca ... lumbiaHome

Toxic 'Agent Orange' sprayed in B.C.: documents
By: Jon Woodward, ctvbc.ca
Date: Wednesday Apr. 4, 2012 1:04 PM PT

The cancer-causing herbicides dubbed "Agent Orange" were sprayed by the B.C. government during the ‘60s and ‘70s, according to documents obtained by CTV News.
Records show tens of thousands of gallons of the toxic mixture were applied to clear brush near highways and along power lines in the late 1960s and early 1970s – and in some cases the substance was sprayed next to homes.
"It was a real strong smell. You couldn't get away from that smell. We smelt that for a year straight in our house, couldn't get rid of it," recalled former Cherryville resident Larry Heal, who remembers a BC Hydro crew spraying a pungent chemical along the high voltage power lines next to his family's home.
"All that stuff went into the creek, so we drank it. All that stuff got in the cow, and we drank the milk. Our clothes were washed in it, our dishes were washed in it," he recalled. "We didn't know what it was."
Heal says more than three decades later his sister has died of adrenal cancer, and he has contracted a yet-to-be explained problem with his nervous system.
"I feel disgusted. I fought pain all my life, and I never knew why," he said, adding he hopes the government will probe the use of the chemicals and compensate those affected.
A CTV News investigation uncovered several hundred pages of documents that show the routine process by which district engineers ordered the chemicals 2-4-D and 2-4-5-T in 45-gallon drums.
The combination of those two herbicides in equal parts comprised Agent Orange, which was used to strip jungle cover and expose North Vietnamese fighters during the Vietnam War. Some 12 million gallons were sprayed over the Vietnamese jungle and the chemical has become notorious for its connection to cancer and birth defects among Vietnamese children.
In 1970, a study showed that dioxin-tainted 2-4-5-T caused birth defects in laboratory animals. After that, the U.S. military stopped using Agent Orange in Vietnam. According to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs, some 50 diseases and medical conditions are associated with exposure to the chemical.
While 2-4-D is still used today, 2-4-5-T use is major health hazard because it was contaminated with dioxin, according to Agent Orange expert Wayne Dwenychuk.
Dioxin is a potent carcinogen that can lead to a number of health problems, including cancer and neurological diseases, and is banned in Canada today, Dwenychuk said.
"If they used 2-4-5-T through B.C., they were spreading dioxin; there's no doubt in my mind," he said, adding that the biggest concern is for those who were employed by the government to apply the herbicide.
In B.C., the mix of 2-4-D and 2-4-5-T was called "Type B Weed and Brush Killer" in government invoices. Sometimes, the engineers ordered 2-4-5-T by itself, and dubbed it "Type C Weed and Brush Killer."
In total, about 26,000 gallons of Type B Weed and Brush Killer were ordered between 1965 and 1972. About 10,000 gallons of Type C Weed and Brush Killer were ordered in the same time period. The barrels were shipped to all four of the regions of B.C. as designated by the Ministry of Highways: Kamloops, Nelson, Prince George and Vancouver.
Simon Fraser University epidemiologist Scott Venners told CTV News that dioxin latches onto fat cells and can stay in the body for a long time. He said it's possible even a single large exposure could cause lasting disease.
"If you had exposure to dioxin it's plausible you could have health effects, cancer, fertility and immune system problems," he said.
It's possible that some of the chemical remains in the sprayed areas today, he said.
In the early 1970s, several community groups wrote the Ministry of Highways to complain about the use of 2-4-5-T by the government, the documents show. The ministry responded by slapping a ban on herbicides on highway rights-of-way in 1973.
But that left about 6,000 gallons of toxic herbicides in stock, a letter from Michel Pope, Senior Landscape Supervisor, says on April 2, 1975.
"The department had a considerable amount of herbicides in stock and this has been retained in the event that the ban might be lifted," he writes. "However, the containers in which the material is stored are beginning to deteriorate to the point where certain environmental damage might occur."
The BC Hydro and Power Authority was willing to buy all of the chemicals at "half price," he wrote.
In 1976, documents from BC Hydro show 2-4-5-T and 2-4-D was sprayed along Hydro lines Vernon-Monashee and Nicola-Brenda circuits, including the area next to Larry Heal's house.
The documents also say "brushkiller" was sprayed in Pemberton and Daisy Lake.
When CTV News first contacted BC Hydro about spraying, a spokesperson denied ever using the chemicals, saying in an email "Historical Hydro data indicates that BC Hydro has never used Agent Orange."
Two months later, after CTV News obtained the documents under the Freedom of Information Act, the utility admitted using 2-4-D and 2-4-5-T until September 1976. It said "brushkiller" was 2-4-D but may have contained 2-4-5-T. "There are no more details available about this," a Hydro spokesperson said.
But executive vice-president Greg Reimer said that doesn't mean the agency used "Agent Orange."
"BC Hydro never used Agent Orange…in performing vegetation management on the provincial electricity system," Reimer said in a written statement.
Dwernychuk said Hydro is splitting hairs.
"If Hydro used a mixture of 2-4-D and 2-4-5-T in a one-to-one proportion, it was, for all intents and purposes, Agent Orange," he said.
B.C.'s Ministry of Transportation also denied that Agent Orange was ever used in the province., but admitted using 2-4-5-T and 2-4-D. In 1978, 2-4-5-T was prohibited by the B.C. Ministry of Environment.
The chemical 2-4-5-T was banned by the Canadian government in 1985.
Faced with similar stories of cancer stemming from exposure to 2-4-5-T, the province of Ontario has organized a fact-finding panel to find out just how much of the chemical was sprayed around the province in the 1950s and 1960s. Results from that panel are expected in June.

[J.B. Stone]

Backlog of Veterans' Disability Claims Increases 179% Under Obama
By Matt Cover
October 4, 2012

(CNSNews.com) – The backlog of veterans’ disability claims has jumped by 179 percent during President Barack Obama’s first term in office, reaching 883,949 outstanding claims, according to Veterans Administration (VA) statistics. (Click Oct. 1, 2012 link.)

The backlog of claims is at near-record highs, with 65.8 percent of claims being backlogged for 125 days or more.

The total claims include disability claims by veterans as well as from surviving spouses, children, or parents. As the VA explains, these claims are "based upon the effects of disabilities, diseases, or injuries incurred or aggravated during military service." And the claims by spouses, children, or parents are based "upon the Veteran's death due to service-related causes." (Click Oct. 1, 2012 link.)

When Obama took office, there were approximately 390,000 outstanding claims, of which only 22 percent had been pending for more than 180 days.

That number had been falling during the second George W. Bush administration, despite the military being heavily engaged in two wars. At the beginning of Bush’s second term, the VA had about 480,000 outstanding claims, with only 21 percent backlogged for more than 180 days.

That number fell by almost 100,000 claims by the time Obama took office

In a speech to the American Legion in August, General Eric Shinseki, secretary of Veterans Affairs, said that the VA was working hard to try to process all the claims, noting that “no one is standing at parade rest.”

“The backlog is real, but no one is standing at parade rest,” he said. “This is a dynamic process, and as we pushed 2.9 million claims out the door, 3.5 million claims came in.”

Shinseki promised that his agency would end the backlog by 2015.

Shinseki said the VA had been carrying a backlog “for decades” and added that recent decisions to grant claims related to Gulf War Syndrome and Agent Orange exposure had increased the backlog.

“Three-and-a-half years ago, we were also still grappling with some unresolved issues from past wars -- the Gulf War, over 20 years ago, and the Vietnam War, nearly 50 years ago now,” he said. “We didn't take care of business when we should have decades ago, and some Veterans were dying without benefits.”

However, the backlog problem has more than doubled in the past two years alone. In January 2012, pending claims stood at about 880,000, with 64 percent backlogged for more than 125 days. That number was up approximately 116,000 over the previous year.

The claims are for veterans with some kind of service-related disability such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or some kind of physical disability caused by injury. Once processed and rated by the VA, veterans receive compensation to help offset the cost of their disability. However, so long as their claims are backlogged, they have no access to compensation.