Washington, D.C. -- During a landmark event Tuesday at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP) entitled,“Overcoming War Legacies: The Road to Reconciliation and Future Cooperation Between the United States and Vietnam,” USAID Deputy Administrator Bonnie Glick announced the official launch of the design phase of the environmental clean-up of Vietnam’s Bien Hoa Airbase -- the largest remaining dioxin hotspot in Vietnam. Dioxin is a toxic chemical in Agent Orange, an herbicide mixture used by the U.S. military during the Vietnam War to clear foliage.

Speaking alongside high-level representatives from the Department of State, Department of Defense, and the Government of Vietnam, Deputy Administrator Glick announced that Trigon Associates LLC, a woman-owned small business based in New Orleans, Louisiana, will provide the masterplan for the multi-year clean-up project. USAID’s partnership with Trigon utilizes an innovative, pay-for-results structure that will yield the best value for U.S. taxpayers. This $33 million award to a small, woman-owned business advances a commitment from USAID to grow and diversify its partner base.

“USAID is committed as a development agency not only to partner with Vietnam today, but also to ensure that the Vietnamese people have the tools necessary to address ongoing and future challenges in a sustainable way,” Deputy Administrator Glick said at USIP on Tuesday.

Last November, USAID and the Government of Vietnam celebrated the historic completion and project close-out of the environmental remediation of dioxin at Danang Airport, a six-year, $110-million project between the United States and Vietnam. That work utilized U.S. proprietary technology developed by a Massachusetts-based small business called TerraTherm. The clean-up represents the largest dioxin remediation project of its kind ever conducted. It also represents USAID’s long-standing commitment to addressing this legacy of the Vietnam War, improving the lives of the people of Vietnam and of future generations.

“Continuing our work together to address war legacy issues between the United States and Vietnam not only advances our strategic partnership in the Indo-Pacific, but also helps to reinforce a strong, self-reliant Vietnam for future generations,” said Gloria Steele, Acting Assistant Administrator for USAID’s Bureau for Asia. “I am confident that the partnership between our two countries will continue to grow for years to come,” she said.

For more on USAID’s work in Vietnam, click here.