Public Health
Herbicide Tests and Storage in the U.S.
Agent Orange and other herbicides used in Vietnam were tested or stored elsewhere, including many military bases in the United States. Below is information from the Department of Defense (DoD) on projects to test, dispose of, or store herbicides in the U.S.
For projects outside the U.S., go to Herbicide Tests and Storage Outside the U.S.
View all as PDF: Herbicide Tests and Storage Outside of Vietnam (224 KB, PDF) and Additional Herbicide Tests and Storage Outside of Vietnam (77 KB, PDF)
Alabama
Location: US Army Gulf Outport, Port of Mobile, Alabama
Dates: Aug 1965 – Dec 1968
Site: Tactical herbicides were marshalled in a warehouse used as a transit shed on the pier leased by the Mobile Detachment, and stored for a short term in a fenced outside storage area located across the street from a warehouse adjacent to Pier No. 5 about one-half mile from the dock warehouse.
Arkansas
Location: Fort Chaffee
Dates: May 16-18, July 22-23, August 23-25, 1967
Site: Identified only as "FTCH-041". Applications from a Bell G-2 helicopter or cherry picker.
Florida
Location: Avon Park Air Force Range*
Date: February – March 1951 (Phase I)
Site: Low volume anticrop aerial spray trials.
Location: Avon Park Air Force Range*
Date: Fall 1951 (Phase II)
Site: Low volume anticrop aerial spray trials.
Location: Avon Park Air Force Range*
Date: March 30 – April 16, 1954
Site: Chemical anticrop aerial sprays from high-speed jet aircraft
Location: Avon Park Air Force Range*
Date: March and April 1955
Site: Chemicals were applied with a hand sprayer to a 16 square foot area around individual or multiple plants.
Location: Avon Park Air Force Range*
Date: April 15, 1967
Site: Native grass-sedge vegetation near Avon Park.
Location: Eglin AFB
Date: November – December 1952
Site: Field #2 and Bombing Ranges 52 and 57. Two series of chemical anticrop aerial spray trails. To include herbicide loading sites, e.g. hardstands or taxiway ends used for loading purposes.
Location: Eglin AFB
Date: March - April 1953
Site: Evaluation of Large Capacity Bomb Bay Spray Tank Assembly in B-29 and C-119 aircraft. Installation of system in aircraft; filling test using agent; dump test using water. To include herbicide loading sites, e.g. hardstands or taxiway ends used for loading purposes.
Location: Eglin AFB
Date: June 1962
Site: Field 2, unused portion of the runway. Flow rate calibration of C-123. To include herbicide loading sites, e.g. hardstands or taxiway ends used for loading purposes. To include herbicide loading sites, e.g. hardstands or taxiway ends used for loading purposes.
Location: Eglin AFB test range
Date: June 24, 27; July 1, 4, 6, 14, 15, 16, 17, 1962
Site: Range 52 South; Swath width and particle size determination using C-123 aircraft. To include herbicide loading sites, e.g. hardstands or taxiway ends used for loading purposes.
Location: Eglin AFB test range
Date: July 18-21, 1962
Site: Range 52 South, Swath width and particle size determination using HUS-1 helicopter. To include herbicide loading sites, e.g. hardstands or taxiway ends used for loading purposes.
Location: Eglin AFB test range
Date: May – July 1963
Site: Range 52 South, Determine the effective swath widths for each system under specified conditions.To include herbicide loading sites, e.g. hardstands or taxiway ends used for loading purposes.
Location: Eglin AFB test range
Date: October 2-23, 1963 (Specific date not specified but done prior to spray flights)
Site: Eglin Test Range C-52A. (C-130) Flow rate calibrations. Tests were run on the ground using a 32-foot canvas trough to collect spray and funnel it into a 500-gallon catch tank.To include herbicide loading sites, e.g. hardstands or taxiway ends used for loading purposes.
Location: Eglin AFB test range
Date: October 24 - December 29, 1963. All flights conducted from approximately 0430 to 0730 CST.
Site: CB grid on C-52A south. Multiple passes were done on each day at varying altitudes and flow rate.To include herbicide loading sites, e.g. hardstands or taxiway ends used for loading purposes.
Location: Eglin AFB test range
Date: May 19, 1964
Site: C52A. Ground calibrations. A 32-foot canvas trough was used to collect and funnel the spray. To include herbicide loading sites, e.g. hardstands or taxiway ends used for loading purposes.
Location: Eglin AFB test range
Date: May 21 - June 13, 1964
Site: Fifty-three spray flights made across the CB Defoliant Grid located on Test Area C-52 South.To include herbicide loading sites, e.g. hardstands or taxiway ends used for loading purposes.
Location: Eglin AFB test range
Date: June 26 - July 9, 1964
Site: Southwest quarter of the CB grid at Eglin Test Range C-52A. C-123 ground flow rate calibrations on the A/A 45Y-1 dispenser to determine the accuracy of the flowmeter. Thirteen tests were run on ground using a 32-foot canvas trough to collect spray and funnel it into a 500-gallon catch tank.To include herbicide loading sites, e.g. hardstands or taxiway ends used for loading purposes.
Location: Eglin AFB test range
Date: July 10-22, 1964
Site: Southwest quarter of the CB grid at C-52A. C-123 flights to determine the ground characteristics of the A/A 45Y-1 dispenser. Multiple passes were done each day at varying altitudes and flow rates.To include herbicide loading sites, e.g. hardstands or taxiway ends used for loading purposes.
Location: Eglin AFB test range
Date: July 7- November 6, 1965
Site: CB grid. Developmental test and evaluation of the COIN defoliant dispenser, A/B 23Y-1, installed on an A-1E aircraft. Thirty-seven flights were conducted. To include herbicide loading sites, e.g. hardstands or taxiway ends used for loading purposes.
Location: Eglin AFB test range
Date: April 14-22, 1966
Site: CB grid at C-52A. Cessna 206 Super Skywagon with specially fabricated spray equipment was flown over the southwest corner of the CB Grid. To include herbicide loading sites, e.g. hardstands or taxiway ends used for loading purposes.
Location: Eglin AFB test range
Date: June 20 - November 8, 1968
Site: CB grid C-52A. Aerial testing was conducted on the sampler grid located in the southwest corner of the CB grid.To include herbicide loading sites, e.g. hardstands or taxiway ends used for loading purposes.
Location: Eglin AFB test range
Date: December 20, 1968; January 10, 13, 14, 21; February 4; March 11, 20, 25 and April 1, 7, 24, 30; May 1, 13, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23; June 3, 5, 9, 10, July 1, 7, 24, 28, 30, 31; August 7, 11, 21, 1969.
Site: CB grid C-. Determine the ground depositions and swath widths for defoliants using the US-123K/A/A45Y-1 system with 22-foot wing booms. To include herbicide loading sites, e.g. hardstands or taxiway ends used for loading purposes.
Location: Eglin AFB test range
Date: November 4, 12, 17, 25; December 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 1969.
Site: CB grid at C-52A. Evaluation of the TMU-28/B spray tank as an interim capability for dispensing defoliant by high-speed aircraft.To include herbicide loading sites, e.g. hardstands or taxiway ends used for loading purposes.
Location: Apalachicola National Forest, near Sopchoppy, Wakulla County, Tallahassee
Date: May 3-8, 1967
Site: Evaluate rapid-acting desiccants, and defoliants. Applications made with Bell G-2 helicopter.
* Now known as Avon Park Air Force Range.
Georgia
Location: Fort Gordon
Date: July 15-17, 1967
Site: Defoliant Testing Areas in Training Area 47. Applications made with Bell G-2 helicopter.
Location: Fort Gordon
Date: Unspecified Date in 1968, but prior to July 1, 1968.
Site: Training Area 47. Location not specified but testing was done on brush and small trees. Defoliants and desiccants were applied with a high-line bucket lift (cherry picker) with a 15-foot boom sprayer.
Location: Georgia Power Company: Valdosta-Thomasville line and Bonaire line near Macon
Date: May 20-22, 1964
Site: Six plots, each 60 X 2640 feet, were treated on the Valdosta-Thomasville line. Seven plots, each 200 X 750 feet, were treated on the Bonaire line. Chemicals were sprayed on five-acre plots by a Bell helicopter.
Indiana
Location: Vigo Plant CWS, Terra Haute
Date: May 18 - August 22, 1945
Site: Special Report 25 identifies 4 experimental grids and 6 field grids but does not give information on the location of the grids.
Maryland
Location: Aberdeen Proving Ground
Date: May 1963
Site: M Field, Watsons Creek, Edgewood. Two locations specified as: Marsh area with water and marsh/wooded area with no standing water. Phase II: E156 clusters dropped by helicopter from 2500 feet at 90 MPH; Phase III: E138 bomblet dropped by helicopter from 2500 feet at 90 MPH
Location: Aberdeen Proving Ground
Date: May 1963
Site: M Field, Watsons Creek, Edgewood. Five squares horizontal grids, 96 feet on a side, were constructed in cattails four to six feet high. Phase IV: bomblets were statically fired in an effort to obtain information of applied dosages over selected targets.
Location: Aberdeen Proving Ground
Date: May - July 1965
Site: Location not specified. 244 plots of unspecified size where predominant tree species were sweetgum, black willow, persimmon, black gum, white oak, black oak, pin oak and sumac. Truck mounted sprayer.
Location: Aberdeen Proving Ground
Date: August- September 1965
Site: Location not specified. 75 plots of unspecified size where predominant tree species were sweetgum, black willow, persimmon, black gum, white oak, black oak, pin oak and sumac. Truck mounted sprayer.
Location: Aberdeen Proving Ground
Date: May 27 and 28, 1969
Site: Three test sites in an open grassy area adjacent to the Phillips Army Airfield.
Location: Aberdeen Proving Ground
Date: July 14-19, 1969
Site: Poole's Island. Defoliation tests along shoreline. Applied from riverine watercraft.
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: June 4, 1946
Site: Field A - Irish potatoes
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: August 2, 1946
Site: Field C – soybeans
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: June 13, 1947
Site: Field C - Irish potatoes
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: July 10, 1947
Site: Field C – soybeans
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: July 18, 1947
Site: Field C – soybeans
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: July 23 and August 25, 1947
Site: Field C – sweet potatoes
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: July 16, 1948
Site: Field D – soybeans
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: July 9, 1948
Site: Field D - Irish potatoes
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: June 28, July 15, July 28, 1948
Site: Field D – soybeans
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: July 29, 1949
Site: Field C – soybeans
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: May 18 and June 8, 1949
Site: Field C – onions
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: June 2 and 9, 1949
Site: Field C – flax
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: August 4, 1949
Site: Field C – peanuts
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: June 6 and July 5, 1949
Site: Field C – kale
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: June 6 and July 5, 1949
Site: Field C – rutabaga
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: June 7 and July 6, 1949
Site: Field C – rutabaga
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: June 20 and July 21, 1949
Site: Field C – mangel
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: June 21 and July 20, 1949
Site: Field C - sugar beet
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: June 21 and July 1, 1949
Site: Field C - garden beet
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: June 20 and July 6, 1949
Site: Field C – cabbage
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: July 21 and August 9, 1949
Site: Field C – eggplant
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: July 22, 1949
Site: Field C – rape
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: July 22, 1949
Site: Field C – tobacco
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: July 26, 1949
Site: Field C – soybean
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: July 27, 1949
Site: Field C – soybean
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: May 22 and June 2, 1950
Site: Field A – wheat
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: June 16, 1950
Site: Field D – flax
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: June 2, 1950
Site: Field D - Irish potatoes
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: June 27, 1950
Site: Field D – sugar beet
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: July 14 and August 3, 1950
Site: Field D – soybeans
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: June 5, 1950
Site: Field D - Irish potatoes
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: June 21, 1950
Site: Field D 4 – flax
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: June 29 and 30, 1950
Site: Field D - sugar beet
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: July 20 and 21, 1950
Site: Field D – soybean
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: June 6 and 20, 1950
Site: Field D 4 - fiber flax
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: June 6 and 20, 1950
Site: Field D - oil flax
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: July 12 and August 2, 1950
Site: Field D – sunflower
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: July 26 and August 7, 1950
Site: Field D – sweet corn
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: August 4, 14, and 30, 1950
Site: Field D – sorghum
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: June 5, 1950
Site: Field D – Irish potatoes
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: July 31, 1950
Site: Field F – soybean
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: July 25, 1951
Site: Field F – soybean
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: July 11, 1951
Site: Field F – lima beans
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: July 2, 1951
Site: Field F – string beans
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: July 13, 1951
Site: Field F – kale
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: July 17, 1951
Site: Field F – sunflower
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: July 10, 1951
Site: Field F – sweet pepper
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: July 18, 1951
Site: Field F – tomato
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: August 3, 1951
Site: Field F – eggplant
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: Date treated not in report. Plants were planted on June 4 and harvested on September 17, 1951. Does note plants were in early bud stage.
Site: Field F – hemp
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: August 10, 1951
Site: Field F – peanut
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: July 9 and 10, 1951
Site: Field F – rutabaga
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: July 16, 1951
Site: Field F – mangel
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: July 11, 1951
Site: Field F – sugar beets
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: August 13, 1951
Site: Field F – sweet potatoes
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: August 9, 1951
Site: Field F – tobacco
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: July 3 and 12, 1951
Site: Field F – rutabaga
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: July 10, 1951
Site: Field F – garden beet
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: July 19, 1951
Site: Field F – cabbage
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: July 20, 1951
Site: Field F – flax
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: June 16 and July 2 and 9, 1951
Site: Field F – Irish potatoes
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: January 5; March 5; and April 6 and 7, 1951
Site: Field F – winter wheat
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: July 7, 1951
Site: Field F – Irish potatoes
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: June 26, 1951
Site: Field F – Irish potatoes
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: July 20 and August 2, 1951
Site: Field F – soybeans
Location: Camp Detrick*
Date: June – July 1953
Site: Area B on one-acre plots of soybeans and sweet potatoes. Experimental spray tower mounted on a pickup truck to simulate aerial spray applications of chemical anticrop agents.
Location: Fort Detrick
Date: November 6 and December 11, 1956; January 4, February 5, March 5, April 11, 13, 22, 30, May 6, 13, 1957.
Site: Not specified but wheat field.
Location: Fort Detrick
Date: November 14, 1956; February 24, March 20 and May 1, 1957
Site: Not specified but rye field.
Location: Fort Detrick
Date: November 14, 1956; January 1, February 4, and March 26, 1957
Site: Not specified but oat field.
Location: Fort Detrick
Date: June 3 and July 26, 1957
Site: Not specified but sorghum field.
Location: Fort Detrick
Date: June 26 and July 26, 1957
Site: Not specified but corn field.
Location: Fort Detrick
Date: August 1957
Site: Rice field near Nallin Pond.
Location: Fort Detrick
Date: Feb 28; March 3, 11,17, 19, 28; April 4, 1958.
Site: Greenhouse - 9 crop plants grown in containers. Agent applied in spray room.
Location: Fort Detrick
Date: March 3,1958
Site: Greenhouse - rice grown in containers. Applied in the spray room then moved back to the greenhouse.
Location: Fort Detrick
Date: March 3,1958.
Site: Greenhouse. Plants placed in dew chambers for one hour then moved to spray room where dust was applied with small duster.
Location: Fort Detrick
Date: July 30; Aug 4, 5, 6, 7, 11, 12, 18, 20, 21, 26, 1958.
Site: Field grown crops of millet, peanuts, sorghum and soy bean.
Location: Fort Detrick
Date: May 19 – August 2,1960
Site: Field grown crops of wheat, rye, oats, barley, kaoliang, millet, corn, sweet potatoes, and Irish potatoes.
Location: Fort Detrick
Date: May 1963
Site: Cattails. Five bomblets were statically fired.
Location: Fort Detrick
Date: August 1961- June 1963
Site: Primary screening carried out in greenhouses on 14-day old bean plants; secondary screening sprayed in greenhouses at 1,5, 10 lbs/ac on tree seedlings.
Location: Fort Detrick
Date: 1967-1968
Site: Greenhouse studies on 14-day old red kidney beans.
Location: Fort Detrick
Date: May 21, 1968
Site: 11 plots, 20 x 20 sq ft
Location: Fort Detrick
Date: June 12 - September 12, 1968
Site: Laboratory and greenhouse studies.
Location: Fort Detrick
Date: May 2 and 12, 1969
Site: Redcoat winter wheat plots.
Location: Fort Detrick
Date: 1970
Site: Controlled environmental chamber with individual potted plants.
Location: Fort Meade
Date: August 2, 1963
Site: 24 Plots, each approximately 150 square feet.
Location: Fort Meade
Date: Spring- Summer 1964
Site: Isolated area of an abandoned farm; area was marked off in 225 sq ft plots.
Location: Fort Ritchie
Date: July 11-12, 1963
Site: Eighteen individual trees each of: white ash, American elm, red maple, black locust, chestnut oak, and northern red oak.
*Now known as Fort Detrick.
Mississippi
Location: Naval Construction Battalion Center, Gulfport
Date: 26 June 1968 - June 10, 1977
Site: Secure 12-acre storage area. Marshalled for shipping to Vietnam/then storage pending guidance on disposal.
Location: Naval Construction Battalion Center, Gulfport
Date: May 24 - June 10, 1977
Site: Redrumming facility. Drums were moved to redrumming facility where the drum heads were removed and herbicide was sucked through intake hoses into tank railcars. Rail cars were then moved to the dock where the herbicide was transferred to the Vulcanus, a privately-owned incineration ship.
Montana
Location: Bozeman
Date: July 3, 6, and 14, 1953
Site: Gallatin Valley. Field evaluations of chemical agents for attacking wheat using miniature spraying systems mounted on a light aircraft.
New York
Location: Fort Drum
Date: May - October 1959
Site: Four square miles (2,560 acres) area located in an artillery impact area. Access to it on the ground was not possible. Applied with H-21 helicopter.
Tennessee
Location: Power line from Hiwassee Dam, NC to Coker Creek, TN
Date: June 17; July 2,3; 1964
Site: Seven plots, each 200 X 750 feet. Right of way 200 feet wide on the power line from Hiwassee Dam, NC to Coker Creek, TN. Compounds were applied by Bell helicopter.
Texas
Location: Kelly AFB
Date: November 18, 1970 - Unknown
Site: Storage in Yard 62, East Kelly area.
Utah
Location: Dugway Proving Ground
Date: August 7 & 8, 1963
Site: Downwind Grid
Location: Dugway
Date: September 14 -October 6, 1964
Site: Firing range. To determine suitability of the Army Interim Defoliation System for the US Army OV-1 (MOHAWK) aircraft.
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