Dioxin remediation at Biên Hoà air base in the southern province of Đồng Nai. — VNA/VNS Photo

ĐỒNG NAI — Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Hoàng Xuân Chiến has praised the progress and efforts of units involved in the dioxin remediation at Biên Hoà air base area project.

A notable milestone has been the completion of the design for the first phase of the thermal treatment technology, he said during a site inspection on January 17. Chiến was accompanied by officials from relevant Vietnamese agencies and US Ambassador to Việt Nam Marc Knapper.

Since its commencement in 2019, the project has excavated over 100,000cu.m of soil and treated 13ha of dioxin-contaminated land at Biên Hoà Airport. Chiến, who also heads the Standing Office of the National Steering Committee for the Settlement of Post-War Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) and Toxic Chemical Consequences (Steering Committee 701), emphasised the importance of close coordination among relevant units to expedite progress. He urged the prompt construction and installation of the thermal treatment system, alongside enhanced supervision of construction activities, environmental monitoring, and worker health tracking. These efforts, he stressed, must adhere to approved protocols to ensure environmental, health, security, and safety standards.

The Deputy Minister instructed units to quickly outline the scope of work within the allocated budget and accelerate the preparation of pre-feasibility and feasibility study reports for project adjustments. These reports are to be submitted to the Ministry of National Defence and the Prime Minister for evaluation and approval.

He also set a goal for the completion of certain tasks by this April to facilitate three major project-related events, including the groundbreaking ceremony for the thermal treatment system, an adjustment to the grant agreement to increase US government non-refundable Official Development Assistance (ODA) support to US$430 million and the handover of remediated land.

Deputy Minister of National Defence Sen. Lieut. Gen. Hoàng Xuân Chiến and US Ambassador to Việt Nam Marc Knapper inspected the progress of dioxin remediation at Biên Hoà air base. — VNA/VNS Photo

The same day, Chiến held a meeting with Ambassador Marc Knapper, during which he expressed sympathy for the damage caused by the recent historic wildfires in California. He welcomed the diplomat’s visit to the project site, calling it a positive step that sets the stage for upcoming activities and events in 2025, including the 30th anniversary of Việt Nam-US diplomatic relations.

Chiến reaffirmed that 2024 saw continued progress in joint efforts to address the aftermath of UXO and dioxin contamination. He expressed gratitude for the US Agency for International Development (USAID) for securing increased funding, raising the total from $300 million to $430 million, and allocating an additional $140 million to expand support for dioxin victims in Việt Nam.

He encouraged Ambassador Knapper to maintain focus on the project and ensure close collaboration between USAID and Việt Nam's Ministry of National Defence in implementing cooperative initiatives.

Ambassador Knapper acknowledged the significant progress achieved in the project and reiterated the US's commitment to enhancing cooperation with Việt Nam in the field of national defence in the time to come. — VNA/VNS