韓國美軍基地一帶沒有化學毒氣威脅
U.S. officials say they are optimistic a joint investigation underway with the South Korean government will conclude that there are no present environmental dangers from the alleged burial, decades ago, of toxic chemicals on a American military base in the country.
美國官員說，美方正在同韓國政府進行的聯合調查很可能得出的結論是，在韓美軍基地一帶沒有環境污染威脅。有報道說，幾十年前，在美軍基地附近有人掩埋了不少有毒化學物質，有可能造成環境污染。
U.S. Ambassador Kathleen Stephens told reporters in Seoul on Friday potential health concerns to South Koreans, American military personnel and their dependents prompted a quick and full investigation.
美國駐韓國大使凱瑟琳.斯蒂芬斯星期五在首爾對記者談到了可能對當地居民、美國軍人以及家屬造成的環境衛生威脅。她說，這促使有關方面很快展開了全面調查。
"We've got to figure out what happened," she said. "These are charges that date from over 30 years ago. But I think we've made some progress in doing that. And this joint investigation is going along and will continue until we feel that we've addressed the issue to the satisfaction of all concerned."
斯蒂芬斯說：“我們必須調查清楚發生了什麼。有人說，三十年前曾發生了這種污染環境的問題。但是，我認爲，我們在調查方面已經取得了一些進展。聯合調查還在進行當中並且還將進行下去，直到我們解決問題，讓受到影響的各個方面都感到滿意。”
Lee Won-seok, a researcher at South Korea’s National Institute of Environmental Research, says there is nothing alarming from preliminary findings near Camp Carroll, a U.S. military base covering 40 hectares, in the southeastern part of the country.
韓國國立環境研究院的研究員李元碩(音譯)說，在韓國東南部的卡羅爾美國軍事基地，佔地約四十英畝，目前，有關方面作出的初步調查結果表明，沒有什麼特別需要引起警覺的問題。Lee says the levels of dioxin detected at three locations two kilometers from the U.S. facility are too minute to be hazardous to humans.
李元碩說，在卡羅爾美國軍事基地兩公里以外的三個地點發現的二噁英(Dioxin)含量很低，不至於對人體構成危害。
South Korean and U.S. officials also say there is no evidence, at this stage, that the dioxin came from the defoliant Agent Orange. Scientists say they are continuing to evaluate more water samples. Results of remaining inspections are expected to be released next month.
韓國和美國官員還表示，目前沒有證據顯示二噁英來自脫葉劑“桔劑”。科學家說他們將對更多水樣進行檢測。預計下個月將公佈所有調查結果。
Dioxin is a compound of the chemical, previously used to clear jungles during the Vietnam War and along the Korean Demilitarized Zone.
二噁英是一種化學合成劑，曾在越南戰爭中用於清除叢林，在朝鮮半島非軍事區周邊也使用過。
An investigation was quickly launched after three U.S. military veterans told a television station in the U.S. state of Arizona that they were ordered to bury Agent Orange at the Army camp in 1978.
三名美國退伍軍人後來告訴亞利桑那電視臺，他們在1978年接到命令，要求他們在陸軍營地掩埋桔劑。消息披露後，有關當局立刻展開了調查。
U.S. military records indicate barrels of chemicals and soil were removed from the bases in 1979 and 1980, but American officials say the documents do not reveal if the chemicals removed included Agent Orange.
美國軍方檔案記錄顯示，1979年和1980年，美國軍方轉移了桶裝化學制劑，還移走了從美國軍事基地挖掘出的土壤。但是美國官員說，文件並沒有顯示，被轉移的化學制劑是桔劑。
There have been concerns that the revelations of alleged dumping of toxic chemicals could re-ignite anti-American sentiments in South Korea. The United States has more than 28,000 military personnel stationed in the country.
有人擔心，傾倒有毒化學制劑的傳聞可能會引發韓國的反美情緒。美國在韓國駐有2萬8千名軍人。
