Monday, February 21, 2011

Department of Defense tested herbicides, possibly Agent Orange, at Fort Ritchie Army base in the 1950s, COPT says


Department of Defense tested herbicides, possibly Agent Orange, at Fort Ritchie Army base in the 1950s, COPT says

The Department of Defense’s 2006 report, which can be found online, says that from April 1956 to September 1957, some 577 chemicals were screened at Fort Ritchie. The Army was trying to determine which worked best to control and kill vegetation.

The report says that tactical herbicides were developed by the United States DOD to be used in combat operations. These tactical herbicides have been used in wars and military conflicts dating back to World War II.

The intent of the 2006 report was to compile an official list of locations and dates outside of Vietnam where the DOD used herbicides— including Agent Orange — and locations where DOD personnel could have been exposed to the chemicals.

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