News In Brief
| New York
2 Agent Orange makers to sue US on settlement
Dow Chemical Company and Diamond Shamrock Corporation say they will sue the federal government to recover their share of a $250 million settlement with Vietnam veterans who claim injuries from the herbicide Agent Orange.
The companies contend that because they manufactured the defoliant to federal specifications, the government should pay damages to Vietnam veterans who claim they were harmed by the chemical.
In Washington, the Justice Department said the government would fight any effort to hold it responsible. The appeals court granted a Justice Department request for a 30-day delay to the start of any trial involving claims against the government.
Five other companies that manufactured Agent Orange have not indicated whether they will sue.
