Agent Orange sufferers speak tonight in Saginaw Township

THE SAGINAW NEWS

A mid-Michigan environmental group is hoping to show residents real-life examples of people exposed to toxic chemicals.

A group of Vietnamese victims of Agent Orange will share their stories from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. today at Zauel Memorial Library, 3100 N. Center in Saginaw Township.

"These people represent reality testing," said Terry R. Miller, chairman of the Lone Tree Council, which organized the gathering. "They're going to introduce a little reality principle to this controversy we have here."

Miller said their plight parallels that of residents who live with dioxin contamination in the Tittabawassee and Saginaw rivers.

The six Vietnamese visitors made headlines when they tried to reinstate their claim that U.S. companies -- including Midland's Dow Chemical Co. -- committed war crimes by producing Agent Orange, a dioxin-containing herbicide the military used to defoliate jungles.

On Monday, a federal appeals panel appeared reluctant to overturn a previous court ruling that concluded that international rules of war did not consider Agent Orange a poison.

The group is seeking millions of dollars. The appeals judges did not indicate when they would make a ruling.

"Because of our position in the valley, we thought this would be a good stop for them," Miller said.

The Lone Tree Council also has sparred with Dow, claiming it should clean up contaminants carried downriver over the years.

Dow officials have funded several studies to examine the contaminants and their toxicity. Dow has scheduled several small-scale cleanup projects for the summer and fall on the Tittabawassee River. Meanwhile, Dow officials point to a University of Michigan study that indicates the dioxin found downriver poses no large threat.

Miller and his group say those studies downplay the real danger. Lone Tree Council spokeswoman Michelle Hurd Riddick will talk about mid-Michigan's struggles at the meeting.

Two translators will attend the gathering because many of the Vietnamese visitors don't speak English, Miller said.

Members of the foreign delegation have various backgrounds. All grew up in Vietnam. Some are children of parents exposed to Agent Orange, while others fought for the Vietnamese Army during the war.

"It should be a fascinating talk," Miller said.

He expects the group to make a presentation and show a DVD depicting their struggles with Agent Orange's after-effects.

The six also host a Web site at www.vn-agent orange.org. v

Justin Engel is a staff writer. You may reach him at

776-9691.