Hundreds of Ontario workers exposed to toxic Agent Orange
An independent investigation has found hundreds of Ontario workers were exposed to Agent Orange 600 to 700 times above the safe threshold.
The panel was appointed by the province two years ago after former forestry and hydro workers claimed they’d been exposed to a toxic herbicide – 2,4,5-T – a dioxin-laced component of Agent Orange.
Dr Leonard Ritter headed up the study.
“This particular version of Agent Orange which was used in Vietnam as well as the 50-50 mixture that was sold and used all over the world, was the one that was heavily contaminated with dioxin contaminant.”
“The panel had no reason to believe the mixture that was used in Ontario was qualitatively any different from the product that was being used in Vietnam. Ontario governments and ministries were however not the primary users of 2,4,5-T in Ontario. ”
The herbicide was used by Ontario Hydro officials to clear power line corridors from 1950 to 1979. Agent Orange was banned by the federal government in 1985.
[projekktor src=’https://488b0f6bbd6e1f02d285-a9990803a5649dd3960d912508d8bce9.ssl.cf2.rackcdn.com/2013-0613-OrangeNNM.mp4′]
Image credit: Wikimedia commons
