Re: [CPEO-MEF] "No traces" of Agent Orange at Subic Bay

[Lenny Siegel <lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

Submitted by Saul Bloom <saulbloom@arcecology.org>

The article posted should be read with a substantial grain of salt. Arc
Ecology and the People's Task Force For Bases Cleanup with the
assistance of the Archbishop of Zambalez Province negotiated the release
of the Woodward Clyde Environmental Base Line Survey for public review
in the late '90's. Based upon our review we found the document severely
flawed and it is debatable as to whether the study actually did comply
with accepted norms. To begin with, as confirmed by the SBMA Ecology
Center at a hearing of the combined Philippine Congressional Committees
on the Environment and the Ecology, that the document was designed to
just clear areas for reuse as opposed to identify all sources or
contaminated sites. This is not to say that Agent Orange poses a hazard
at Subic Bay, only that most of the areas for potential Agent Orange
contamination were outside of the scope of the research of the document
cited. If the Woodward Clyde report is the only evidence that SBMA
possesses to confirm the absence of Agent Orange contamination, it is
unfortunately inappropriate to draw that conclusion.

Saul Bloom




Lenny Siegel wrote:
> 
> No traces of 'Agent Orange' in Subic ? SBMA
> 
> By Bebot Sison Jr.
> The Philippine Star
> February 3, 2005
> 
> SUBIC BAY FREEPORT - Officials of the Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority
> (SBMA) assured residents, investors and visitors to the Subic Bay
> Freeport Zone yesterday that there are no traces of "Agent Orange," a
> toxic chemical used by the United States military in the Vietnam War, in
> the former American naval base.
> 
> Reynaldo Garcia, SBMA public relations office head, told The STAR that a
> news report saying that Agent Orange was shipped from New Zealand to
> Vietnam through the former Subic military base "should not be a cause
> for alarm."
> 
> Garcia said the report originated from a New Zealand official who was
> quoted as saying that "products used to make Agent Orange were shipped
> from New Plymouth to Subic Bay in the Philippines."
> 
> ...
> 
> For the entire article, see
> http://www.philstar.com/philstar/News200502039902.htm
> 

-- 


Lenny Siegel
Director, Center for Public Environmental Oversight
c/o PSC, 278-A Hope St., Mountain View, CA 94041
Voice: 650/961-8918 or 650/969-1545
Fax: 650/961-8918
<lsiegel@cpeo.org>
http://www.cpeo.org
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