Polluting Paradise: How US Militarism Contaminated the Pacific
The US Military Has Had a Horrific Environmental Impact on Pacific Island Communities
The U.S military is one of the most destructive forces on Earth. Besides being a major driver of climate change (read this) the U.S military has decided to turn some of the most beautiful Pacific islands into shooting ranges and bomb test sites. While researching this topic, I was struck by the carelessness and incompetence the American military has demonstrated when it comes to properly handling and disposing of hazardous chemicals. This piece will examine detrimental U.S military activities in Hawaii, Guam, and the Marshall Islands.
Hawaii
The U.S military has an extensive history of contaminating Hawaii with hazardous compounds, dating back to WWII. In 1944, over 4,000 tons of hydrogen cyanide and other harmful chemicals as well as 16,000 mustard bombs were dumped near Pearl Harbor. In 1945, thousands of hydrogen cyanide, cyanogen chloride, and mustard bombs were discarded off of Waianae. In the period of 1964–1978, millions of gallons of radioactive waste were dumped near Oahu. From 1941 to 1990, the island of Kahoolawe was used as a virtual nuclear bomb test site, where countless bombs, missiles, and torpedoes were fired into the island.
Turning our attention to more recent developments, in 2021 thousands of Hawaiian residents became seriously ill after being exposed to water contaminated by the Naval Red Hill Fuel Storage Facility. It was reported that 19,000 gallons of jet fuel leaked from the underground fuel storage facility into one of Oahu’s water aquifers, potentially affecting 93,000 people. Hundreds of Hawaiian residents have sued the federal government and the Navy plans to defuel the Red Hill Facility.
Guam
The U.S took control of Guam from Spain after the Spanish-American War of 1898. In the early 1900s, Guamanians pushed for full American citizenship and constitutional rights but were denied by the American government due to, “racial problems of the locality.” Guam would be used as a launchpad for wars in Vietnam and Korea. Guam remains a virtual American colony to this day meaning America can do whatever it wants on the island while Guamanians receive none of the benefits of American citizenship.
Similar to Hawaii, the U.S military has a long history of poisoning Guam’s environment. In 1946, 18 vessels which were involved in nuclear weapons testing were sent to Guam to be decontaminated. Decontamination efforts were unsuccessful; hence Guam’s environment was exposed to radiation. At least one of the vessels was sold to local scrap dealers, potentially exposing Guamanian civilians to radiation. In 1952, the U.S military detonated an immense hydrogen bomb 1,900 kilometers from Guam. High levels of radiation were recorded in Guam, yet the U.S military failed to alert the local population of the danger. From the 1950s through the 1970s, military bases in Guam were used to store harmful chemicals such as agent orange and agent purple. These agents were often used as herbicides and the many people who were exposed to them suffered severe health effects.
As we have seen in Hawaii, U.S military bases have an extremely detrimental effect on the local regions water supply and Guam is no exception. Guam’s main water source, the Northern Guam Lens Aquifer, has been severely contaminated with harmful chemicals including silvex, picloram, and cacodylic acid, thanks to 3 local military bases. The U.S military is currently building a massive firing range complex over the aquifer despite protests from local Guamanians (A petition to protect Guam’s water supply can be found here).
Marshall Islands
Perhaps the most prominent example of the U.S military’s capacity for destruction in the Pacific can be found in the Marshall Islands. The Marshall Islands are approximately 4,000 kilometers from Hawaii. The Islands became a colony of Spain in 1592 before becoming a part of the German empire between 1885–1914. During WWI, Japan seized the Marshall Islands and during WWII control of the Islands passed to the U.S. In 1986, the Islands became independent.
Between 1946–1958, the Bikini and Enewetak atolls were used as bomb test sites. Over 100 hydrogen and thermonuclear bombs were dropped on the atolls, totaling over 200 megatons. The tests were carried out on land and sea and were responsible for the radioactive contamination of the 2,000 islands that made up the Marshall Islands.
Entire islands and reefs were obliterated and Marshall Islanders were forced to endure a litany of severe health consequences due to radioactive exposure. The Marshallese experienced high rates of cancer, genetic defects, radiation burns, and thyroid issues. Another consequence of the bombings was the forced relocation of the islanders who lived in the most affected areas (which to this day contain radioactive levels 10x that of Chernobyl!!!). Refugees from the affected areas were forced to relocate to the island of Ebeye, which has the nickname the “slum of the Pacific.”
The military attempted a half-assed effort to clean up the massive mess they created. Between 1977–1980, contaminated soil from 6 different islands were transported to Runit Island. Runit Island contained a nuclear blast crater, the crater was filled with the contaminated material and covered with a concrete dome. Because this was such a half assed effort, the military failed to line the crater with concrete, and because of rising sea levels it is probable that radioactive material will be able to seep out of the dome and further contaminate surrounding areas.
The U.S military is one of the gravest threats to the environment, as demonstrated by their treatment of the Pacific. As the consequences of climate change become ever more apparent, it is absolutely insane that that the U.S military has an annual budget of nearly a trillion dollars. Rich, Western countries are most responsible for causing climate change while the Global South are feeling the brunt of the effects. The West should be funding climate change mitigation efforts globally, not hoping and planning for a war with China.
I believe the examples I have presented really demonstrate humanity’s inherent self-destructive drive. How are you going to see some of the most beautiful places on Earth and think, “gee, this would make the perfect bomb test site, let’s blow it to smithereens!” Perhaps climate change is karma for how humanity has treated Mother Earth.
Thank you for reading my work. If you’re interested in learning more about this subject check out the book: Poisoning the Pacific: The US Military’s Secret Dumping of Plutonium, Chemical Weapons, and Agent Orange by Jon Mitchell and John W. Dower.