Representative Christopher Gibson (N.Y.) introduced the “Blue Water Navy Vietnam Veterans Act”(H.R. 3612) that clarifies a presumption for filing disability claims at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) for ailments associated with exposure to the Agent Orange herbicide during the Vietnam War. The Institute of Medicine (IOM) report released in May 2011 validated the 2002 Royal Australian Navy report that demonstrates that the desalinization process used on Australian and U.S. Navy ships off the coast of Vietnam magnified the dioxin exposure contained in diminutive amounts of the Agent Orange herbicide in the water.

FRA believes Congress should recognize that the so-called "Blue water" veterans were exposed to Agent Orange herbicide and authorize presumptive status for VA disability claims associated with this exposure. Shipmates are urged to use the Action Center to contact their U.S. Representatives on this legislation and companion Senate legislation (the “Agent Orange Equity Act,”
S. 1629) is almost identical to the House bill. Go Here to read the Bill:

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