韩国美军基地一带没有化学毒气威胁

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.

美国官员说，美方正在同韩国政府进行的联合调查很可能得出的结论是，在韩美军基地一带没有环境污染威胁。有报道说，几十年前，在美军基地附近有人掩埋了不少有毒化学物质，有可能造成环境污染。

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.

美国驻韩国大使凯瑟琳.斯蒂芬斯星期五在首尔对记者谈到了可能对当地居民、美国军人以及家属造成的环境卫生威胁。她说，这促使有关方面很快展开了全面调查。

"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."

斯蒂芬斯说：“我们必须调查清楚发生了什么。有人说，三十年前曾发生了这种污染环境的问题。但是，我认为，我们在调查方面已经取得了一些进展。联合调查还在进行当中并且还将进行下去，直到我们解决问题，让受到影响的各个方面都感到满意。”

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.

韩国国立环境研究院的研究员李元硕(音译)说，在韩国东南部的卡罗尔美国军事基地，占地约四十英亩，目前，有关方面作出的初步调查结果表明，没有什么特别需要引起警觉的问题。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.

李元硕说，在卡罗尔美国军事基地两公里以外的三个地点发现的二恶英(Dioxin)含量很低，不至于对人体构成危害。

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.

韩国和美国官员还表示，目前没有证据显示二恶英来自脱叶剂“桔剂”。科学家说他们将对更多水样进行检测。预计下个月将公布所有调查结果。

Dioxin is a compound of the chemical, previously used to clear jungles during the Vietnam War and along the Korean Demilitarized Zone.

二恶英是一种化学合成剂，曾在越南战争中用于清除丛林，在朝鲜半岛非军事区周边也使用过。

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.

三名美国退伍军人后来告诉亚利桑那电视台，他们在1978年接到命令，要求他们在陆军营地掩埋桔剂。消息披露后，有关当局立刻展开了调查。

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.

美国军方档案记录显示，1979年和1980年，美国军方转移了桶装化学制剂，还移走了从美国军事基地挖掘出的土壤。但是美国官员说，文件并没有显示，被转移的化学制剂是桔剂。

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.

有人担心，倾倒有毒化学制剂的传闻可能会引发韩国的反美情绪。美国在韩国驻有2万8千名军人。