IMPACT OF TOXIC INDUSTRIAL CHEMICALS
Research Agent Orange, and the possibility that the chemical has been responsible for the death and health issues of millions of people during and since the Vietnam War. Based on prior scientific research by the facilities developing and producing this product, what scientific information existed to warn users that the chemical was a hazard to human and animal life either through direct contact, consumption of food products that were contaminated by indiscriminate spraying of the chemical, or through mishandling during manufacture, storage, or distribution of this chemical? Was the chemical intentionally, indiscriminately, disbursed knowing that immediate and long-term effects would impact any human and animal life coming in contact with the chemical?
Even in the war in Afghanistan today, our military and political leaders must consider the immediate and long-term impact of collateral damage as well as justification of any weapon of mass destruction, chemical or otherwise. Did such scientific research during the creation of Agent Orange provide any level of risk analysis that provided our military leaders with a projected percentage of collateral damage, which equated to acceptable losses of human or animal life directly or indirectly related to the aerial disbursement of this chemical? If such risk analysis did exist, did it include long-term impact projections? What effort has the United States government provided to compensate and care for those whose lives have been destroyed by this chemical within the U.S. and the country of Vietnam? Are such chemicals still used in military operations? What should be done for the millions of families across the globe who suffer from the debilitating effects of this chemical? Is blatant abuse of the distribution of industrial toxic chemicals relevant today?
