STATEMENT
OF
VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA
SUBMITTED BY
GEORGE
CLAXTON,
CHAIR, AGENT ORANGE COMMITTEE
BEFORE THE
UNITED STATES
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
NATIONAL SECURITY, VETERANS AFFAIRS AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONS
SUBCOMMITTEE
REGARDING
GAO DECEMBER 1999 REPORT:
AGENT ORANGE – ACTIONS NEEDED TO IMPROVE COMMUNICATIONS OF AIR FORCE
RANCH HAND STUDY DATA AND RESULTS (GAO/NSIAD-00-31)
MARCH 15, 2000
Thank you Mr. Chairman, for your
leadership in holding this hearing, and for allowing Vietnam Veterans of America
(VVA) to offer my comments for the record.
My name is George Claxton.
I am Michigan Agent Orange Commissioner, Chairman of Vietnam Veterans of
America Agent Orange Committee and served two years in Vietnam in the U.S. Army.
First of all, the size of the
Ranch Hand group is entirely too small to be significant in the results of any
scientific study. This observation
suggests that none of the Ranch Hand studies could find a casual relation
between Agent Orange, dioxin, or any other chemical exposure in Vietnam
Veterans.
From the beginning of the Ranch
Hand study being conducted by the Air Force, there appeared to be a major focus
on exposure to 2,3,7,8-Tetrachloro-dibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD) alone.
Although TCDD is by far the most toxic chemical that contaminated
Vietnam, there were a lot more less toxic chemicals.
It is legitimate to describe the
Vietnam battlefield area as one that was awash in a veritable “toxic chemical
cocktail.” There were, at least, three other less toxic dioxins and a few
polychlorinated dibenzo furans, which are a toxic related to dioxins.
There was also arsenic, DDT, and a variety of other herbicides and
insecticides, slimicides and rodenticides.
Unfortunately, the Air Force decided to only concentrate on TCDD.
This suggests that there may be another hypothesis not mentioned in the
Ranchhand studies. Worse, there is
no mention in the Ranch Hand studies suggesting a toxic equivalency factor nor
is their mention of a synergistic reaction between TCDD and other chemicals.
Another aspect of the Ranchhand
studies that is disturbing is the comparison of Ranchhanders to other Vietnam
Veterans. Military records clearly
show that large amounts of herbicides were sprayed around almost all bases in
Vietnam. There is also ample proof
that herbicides were accidentally sprayed in water and food supplies.
Although the Air Force has calculated the amount of TCDD exposure to
troops, their calculations are flawed. The
Air Force did not attempt to calculate the elimination rate of TCDD from the
human body. This is not the same as the half-life of TCDD.
Clearly, some individuals would eliminate more TCDD than others and this
would have an effect on toxicity. The
Air Force’s own studies show that overweight individuals have longer half-life
of TCDD in their bodies but the Air Force did not attempt to qualify the
elimination rate. Worse, the Air
Force did not attempt to calculate TCDD exposure after service in Vietnam.
Although the Ranchhand studies did
not show a statistically significant higher rate of cancer in their
participants, this is due to the low number of individuals involved.
However, there were elevated rates of
lupus and diabetes. These
results suggest that if the number of participants had been larger, the rates of
these diseases might be more significant. Also,
there were a few immune system problems that were elevated in the Ranchhanders.
Although the Air Force came to no conclusion on the immune system
parameters, it is clear that if the number of participants had been higher, a
significant number of cancers might have been identified.
This could be true even though the latency period from time of exposure
was considerably short. The
residents of Seveso, Italy, whom were exposed to TCDD from a exothermic
reaction, had a higher rate of certain cancers after 10 years from the time of
exposure. Dr. Pier Alberto Bertazzi conducted these studies and has
shown even higher rates of cancer after 15 years from exposure.
Utilizing the arguments that I
have cited above, the only logical conclusion that can be derived is that the
Ranchhand studies can serve no useful purposes. The results of Ranchhand cannot be significant and,
therefore, the U.S. Government is wasting money.
I believe that the Ranchhand studies should be terminated and the money
could be used for a better designed study on Vietnam Veterans. A study composed of a lot more Vietnam Veterans and conducted
by non-governmental organizations. This
should include scientists that have no affiliation with U.S. Government
contractors that manufactured chemicals for use in Vietnam.
This type of situation would prevent the organization that utilized
chemicals in Vietnam from having the painful obligation of monitoring the
damaged that the chemicals may inflict on individuals.
VVA suggest that there may be a
serious conflict of interest between the U.S. Government utilizing a product
that could harm soldiers and then having to assess the potential damage later.
It is immaterial whether a product is classified as a weapon or not.
If veterans are injured by the
product, the U.S. Government should admit responsibility and compensate the
veterans and their families. If the
U.S. Government wants to foster patriotism, then they should have the
responsibility to give future soldiers the confidence they will need to
represent their country. This
confidence cannot be generated with veteran’s health studies conducted by the
same people who created the military service.
Perhaps there is wisdom in
developing a non-government research center to study the effects of war and
military service. This should
include the instruments of war before they are utilized.
Therefore VVA recommends that the Congress move to create a “National
Institute of Military Medicine” at the National Institutes of Health for this
purpose.
Beyond the conceptual problems of
the sample size and the way the Air Force has conducted the Ranch Hand study, as
documented by the General Accounting Office (GAO) recent report and no doubt
detailed by other witnesses at this hearing the question is what can be done to
salvage something of value from the more than $140 Million spent on this study.
Thus far, less than 10% of the data has been utilized, and the results
have been virtually useless to the Congress or the Secretary of Veteran Affairs
in regard to making any judgment on the effects of Agent Orange and other
chemical contaminants to which veterans were exposed in Vietnam.
In order to salvage the investment
of time and volunteer energy invested in the Ranch Hand study for useful
purpose, VVA recommends that a number of steps be taken by the Congress.
First, VVA recommends that all of
the data and tissue samples be made available immediately to all legitimate
researchers, at nominal cost, in CD-ROM or other accessible format, with the
code keys available. (It currently
costs about $700 for the only data tape available from the National Technical
Information, which is in an unusable and inaccessible format).
Second, VVA recommends that the
Advisory Committee be required to meet at least three times per year, and that
the Air Force provide resources for this purpose.
Third, VVA recommends that
Congress act to ensure that the mandate for oversight, control and review
functions of the Advisory Committee be significantly strengthened and that an
Annual Report be filed by the committee with the appropriate committee of the
Congress.
Fourth, VVA recommends that none
of the future or planned studies of Gulf War veterans, or the possible effects
of any chemical or radiological exposures be awarded to the Air Force nor any
other government entity to actually do the research. The need here is for government funded, but independently
conducted and peer reviewed studies of sufficient sample size to provide usable
results to the Congress and to the veterans and their families who have been
waiting thirty years for reasonable and honest answers.
Fifth, VVA recommends that the
Congress move to authorize and fully fund a “National Institute of Military
Medicine” (NIMM) at the National Institutes of Health.
Sixth, VVA recommends that the
Congress move to authorize and fund additional studies on the effects of
exposure to toxic chemicals and other hazardous conditions of our veterans in
Vietnam before the end of this Congress.
Mr. Chairman, Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA) thanks
you and your distinguished colleagues for your leadership on this vital issue
for Vietnam veterans and their families. VVA
looks forward to working with you until there is justice done for veterans in
regard to chemical exposures that included Agent Orange in the hazardous
workplace known as the battlefield in Vietnam.
VIETNAM VETERANS OF AMERICA
Funding Statement
March 15, 2000
The national organization Vietnam Veterans of America (VVA)
is a non-profit veterans membership organization registered as a 5019(c)(19)
with the Internal Revenue Service. VVA is also appropriately registered with the
Secretary of the Senate and the Clerk of the House of Representatives in
compliance with the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995.
VVA is not currently in receipt of any Federal grant or
contract, other than routine allocation of office space and associated resources
in VA Regional Offices and the Board of Veterans Appeals for outreach and direct
services through its Veterans Benefits Program (service representatives). This
is also true of the previous two fiscal years.
For further information, please contact:
Director, Government Relations
Vietnam Veterans of America
(202) 628-2700, extension 127
E-mail us at govtrelations@vva.org
