Japan’s Shimizu Corporation and the High Command of Chemistry’s Center for Environment Treatment Technology under Vietnam’s Ministry of National Defense (MoD) held a ceremony in Hanoi on September 4 to announce a memorandum of understanding on the cooperation and plan to pilot dioxin treatment technology at Bien Hoa airport in the southern province of Dong Nai. A representative from Shimizu Corporation introduced soil washing technology for dioxin treatment, a combination between soil washing and burning technology which could reduce waste and bring about higher economic efficiency. The project will begin in November 2018, while the field soil washing will be carried out from mid-January to April 2019. The area surrounding Bien Hoa airport contains high levels of the chemical and is considered one of the country’s dioxin hotspots. According to assessments from Vietnam and the U.S., some 500,000 cubic meters of dioxin-contaminated land in the airport need to be treated, requiring a large amount of capital and technology. (Vietnam Plus; VTV; CAND; Bao Tin Tuc - News; Tien Phong - Pioneer Sep 4)