Document dnZjGVEyp72B11Z8DBNROQw6q

Jonsanto Backgrounder MONSANTO COMPANY I ST. LOUIS, MO. fm B m B i B a m s s a a s ^ AGENT ORANGE We genuinely sympathize with the plight of our Vietnam Veterans. But we believe that the preponderance of scientific and medical evidence available today clearly indicates that there is no link between Agent Orange and human health problems of the magnitude claimed by the veterans. Monsanto was one of the companies asked to produce this herbicide mixture for the government during the Vietnam War. Now, much to our regret, we find that we are both an object of the veterans' frustrations and a target of a class action suit filed by thousands of veterans against the producers. Agent Orange, used during the Vietnam War, was supplied at the government's request, formulated to government specifications, applied by military personnel under the orders of the government, and used in war situations ... utterly beyond the control of the manufacturers. The controversy surrounding Agent Orange continues despite the lack of virtually any scientific evidence that this herbicide posed a danger to the veterans. To the contrary, there is a growing and substantial amount of scientific/medical evidence on the record (attached) indicating that there is no link between Agent Orange and the chronic health problems claimed by some veterans. Obviously, this conflict is not of our making. However, having been drawn into it, we have no alternative but to defend ourselves. We are confident that good science will ultimately prevail over the emotions of the moment and exonerate the producers of Agent Orange. At the same time, we sincerely hope that good science will also provide many of the answers the veterans now seek regarding possible service-related health problems. -0 O0 - January, 1983 For additional information, contact: Dan R. Bishop Environmental Communications Monsanto Company 800 N. Lindbergh Blvd. St. Louis, Mo. 63167 314-694-2891 p n t) m