Deputy Defense Minister Hoang Xuan Chien speaks at a ceremony to announce the completion of dioxin cleanup at A So airport, October 24, 2023.

The agency announced on Tuesday the completion of a 3‑year dioxin cleanup project at the airport at a cost of 3 million USD. The project included clearing mines and collecting and treating more than 38,000 cubic meters of dioxin-contaminated soil. 

“A So airport is now safe, contributing to local socio-economic development. The cleanup is even more significant as A So is a remote, border area inhabited mostly by ethnic minority people,” Deputy Defense Minister Hoang Xuan Chien said.

During wartime, the US military used A So valley in A Luoi district as an airfield to transport and store Agent Orange. Thua Thien‑Hue is home to nearly 16,000 people who were exposed to Agent Orange, including 5,000 in A Luoi district.