Canada utilized Agent Orange into the 1980s

Following a Toronto Star study, Canadian officials have acknowledged the country used the infamous chemical herbicide Agent Orange to eliminate roadside brush from the 1950s to the 1980s. The herbicide Agent Orange is infamous as a chemical warfare agent that was utilized by the United States military throughout the Vietnam War. Numerous scientific researches have shown Agent Orange to be a cause of genetic defects upon people situated in the areas sprayed.

The dangerous tale of Agent Orange

During the code-named Operation Ranch Hand, the U.S. military put millions of gallons of Agent Orange, which is a chemical mixture of 2 phynoxyl herbicides in iso-octyl ester form, on timber and vegetation that Vietcong enemy forces were in which the United States Department of Veterans Affairs explains.

The Agent Orange that was sprayed ended up really getting some of the U.S. veterans while those exposed ended up getting many different forms of cancer, nerve, digestive, skin and respiratory disorders. The Red Cross in Vietnam claims that 3 million in Vietnam were impacted by this with birth defects and genetic disorders. At least 150,000 kids were impacted too. Many other kids were stillborn as a result of parental exposure to Agent Orange.

Star claims it hit forestry employee while there

In Canada, there was a Toronto Star Agent Orange study that was done. It discovered that World War II planes with herbicide in them were dumped on shrubs that needed to be cleared along with timber. Forest employees were uncovered, and the Star investigation indicates that it caused increased instances of cancer, birth defects and tainted food and water. Before research on the chemical agent was done, Agent Orange was utilized in Canada for plant removal in the 1950s.

BBC News states that a government study into Agent Orange use in the nation will begin according to Canadian Provincial Transportation Minister Kathleen Wynne.

"I don’t have the specific information on how much of it was used by the ministry of transportation, but the independent panel will look at that and we’ll work closely with them," Wynne told Canadian media.

Articles cited

BBC

bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-12573599

The Star

thestar.com/news/canada/article/940243–star-exclusive-agent-orange-soaked-ontario-teens

U.S. Department of Veterans' Affairs

publichealth.va.gov/exposures/agentorange/

Agent Orange: Death to Weeds

youtube.com/watch?v=2EaqwRtjVEM