ROA was briefed about the recently published report Blue Water
Navy Vietnam Veterans and Agent Orange Exposure which concluded
that “There is no consistent evidence to suggest that Blue Water
Navy veterans were at higher or lower risk for cancer or other
long-term health outcomes resulting from TCDD exposure
associated with Agent Orange than Brown Water Navy veterans or
ground troops.” The Institute of Higher Medicine’s (IOM)
Committee on Blue Water Navy Veterans and Agent Orange Exposure,
which conducted the study, shared that their conclusion was
based on three things: a lack of data regarding quantity of
environmental concentrations of TCDD (TCDD is Agent Orange’s
dioxin contaminant), minimal TCDD loading to marine waters due
to spray drift, and minimal TCDD loading to marine waters from
river discharge. The Committee plans to approach this anew by
focusing on quantitative rather than qualitative data, which was
used for this report. Of concern to many stakeholders and
advocates involved is the lack of uti