Tag: disability

Veterans’ Benefits for Agent Orange Exposure

  • A poster from the Department of Veterans Affairs offering help and resources to veterans exposed to Agent Orange. (Photo courtesy of the Department of Veterans Affairs)

The US Department of Veterans
Affairs is offering new help to
Vietnam-era vets. The VA says
it can now assist vets who have
ailments related to Agent Orange
exposure. Mark Brush has more:

Transcript

The US Department of Veterans
Affairs is offering new help to
Vietnam-era vets. The VA says
it can now assist vets who have
ailments related to Agent Orange
exposure. Mark Brush has more:

During the Vietnam War, the herbicide known as Agent Orange was sprayed over jungles and forests. It was used to strip the leaves from the trees and expose enemy soldiers.

Some US soldiers who were exposed to the herbicide have long complained about health problems.

Now, the Department of Veterans Affairs says it will help these veterans with disability benefits.

Exposure to Agent Orange has been tied to health problems like parkinson’s disease, cancer, and heart problems.

Allan Oates is with the US Military Veterans with Parkinson’s. He served in Vietnam. And was exposed to Agent Orange. He says his group was thrilled by the VA’s decision.

“It was just an exhilarating feeling to have these people knowing that they were going to get the help that they deserved.”

Oates says many Vietnam era veterans don’t know yet that help is available to them.

The VA estimates that 2.6 million military personnel were potentially exposed to sprayed Agent Orange.

For The Environment Report, I’m Mark Brush.

Related Links

Groups Say Bush Mercury Plan Could Hurt Tourism

Several environmental and sporting groups are criticizing the Bush administration’s plan to reduce mercury from power plants. They say it protects utilities at the expense of public health and the tourism industry. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Stephanie Hemphill reports:

Transcript

Several environmental and sporting groups are criticizing the Bush administration’s plan
to reduce mercury from power plants. They say it protects utilities at the expense of
public health and the tourism industry. The Great Lakes Radio Consortium’s Stephanie
Hemphill reports:


The Bush plan calls for reducing mercury emissions from power plants by allowing
emissions trading – plants could buy and sell vouchers allowing mercury pollution.


Mercury is a concern because children who eat a lot of mercury-contaminated fish are at
risk of nerve damage and learning disabilities. Environmental groups say mercury should
be regulated more strictly, to protect people’s health.


They also say people might not fish as much because of concerns about mercury and they
suggest that might hurt tourism.


The Wisconsin Wildlife Federation’s George Meyer fishes with his teenage daughter.


“We actually reduce the amount of fish we catch and bring home because she and our
other children can’t eat as much fish because of these mercury health advisories.”


But the environmentalists concede they’re making a guess about mercury’s impact on
fishing and tourism. So far, in most states the number of fishing licenses issued has not
changed significantly.


For the Great Lakes Radio Consortium, I’m Stephanie Hemphill.

Related Links

Keeping Disabled Farmers Farming

The life of a farmer isn’t easy. The work is hard. The days are long.
The profit margins, low. It’s tough work for anyone, but when a farmer
becomes disabled, the challenges are even greater. But as the Great
Lakes Radio Consortium’s Wendy Nelson reports, help is available…and
it’s keeping disabled farmers, farming: