Agent Orange Law and Legal Definition
Agent Orange is the code name for a herbicide and defoliant that was developed for the military purposes. The product “Agent Orange” got its name from the orange band that was used to mark the drums which stored it.
Agent Orange was used by the U.S. military in its herbicidal warfare program during the Vietnam War in order to destroy the jungle and forest cover that opposition forces relied on for camouflage. Approximately 93 million pounds of this chemical was sprayed over South Vietnam from 1961 to 1971.
Agent Orange is valuable to the military. But, the sprayings killed vast amounts of wildlife and hardwood trees and exposed forest soils to erosion. Many Vietnam veterans have shown symptoms associated with poisonings from dioxine, an extremely toxic chemical present in Agent Orange. These medical problems include cancer and birth defects.
The following is an example of a state statute defining the term:
Pursuant to Conn. Gen. Stat. § 27-140aa, "Agent orange" means the herbicide composed of 2,4,5-trichlorphenoxyacetic acid and 2,4-dichlorphenoxyacetic acid.
