APNewsBreak: US to pay millions for Agent Orange claims

WASHINGTON (AP) - Ending years of wait, the government agreed Thursday to provide millions of dollars in disability benefits to as many as 2,100 Air Force reservists and active-duty forces exposed to Agent Orange residue on airplanes used in the Vietnam War.

The new federal rule, approved by the White House Office of Management and Budget, takes effect Friday. It adds to an Agent Orange-related caseload that already makes up 1 out of 6 disability checks issued by the Department of Veterans Affairs.

The expected cost over 10 years is $47.5 million, with separate health care coverage adding to the price tag.

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Vietnam War veterans will recognize 2,4-D as half of the highly toxic mix that made up Agent Orange. Agent Orange was a defoliant used on the jungles and farm land of Vietnam, and veterans exposed to it suffer a wide range of illnesses, including cancer. The Vietnamese Red Cross estimates that nearly 1 million people have experienced health problems as a result of Agent Orange. 2,4-D is also the seventh largest source of dioxins in our environment. Dioxins are highly toxic chemical byproducts that can bioaccumulate, which means they can build up in your system, and our environment, over time. The chemical has been linked to non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, lowered sperm counts, liver disease, and Parkinson's disease. Studies have also demonstrated the chemical's adverse effects on hormonal, reproductive, neurological, and immune systems.