The Environmental Cost of War

Joint Base Balad: "Mortaritaville"

The burn pit at Joint Base Balad (also called Logistics Support Area Anaconda) was the size of10 acres — roughly 8 football fields. It burned 24/7 from 2003 to 2011. At peak,25,000 service members were stationed there. The base was nicknamed "Mortaritaville" because of frequent mortar attacks, but the burn pit may have been deadlier than enemy fire.

KBR (Kellogg Brown & Root) operated the burn pit under a $39.5 billion logistics contract. Internal emails later revealed KBR employees complained about health effects but were told to keep burning. The Pentagon knew building incinerators would reduce emissions but never funded them.

The PACT Act: Too Little, Too Late

The Sergeant First Class Heath Robinson Honoring our Promise to Address Comprehensive Toxics (PACT) Act was signed in August 2022 — more than 21 years after burn pit exposure began. The bill was named after a veteran who died of stage 4 cancer at age 39 after multiple deployments to Iraq.

The law only covers US veterans. Iraqi and Afghan civilians who lived near burn pits for years — including children who played in the smoke — have no recourse. The law also doesn't cover contractors, including many KBR employees who operated the pits.

Oscoda, Michigan: The Worst Case

The former Wurtsmith Air Force Base in Oscoda, Michigan closed in 1993. The PFAS contamination discovered there is 1,200 times the EPA health advisory level. The entire community of 6,500 people has been affected. Wells test at 85,000 ppt for PFAS — making it one of the most contaminated sites on Earth.

The Air Force knew about PFAS contamination in the 1990s but didn't inform the community until 2010. Residents drank contaminated water for 20+ years. The cleanup is expected to take decades and cost $300+ million — if cleanup technology even works.

The Cleanup Problem

PFAS chemicals are virtually indestructible. They don't biodegrade, don't break down with heat or chemicals, and bioaccumulate in living tissue. Current "cleanup" methods mostly move PFAS around rather than destroying it:

The Pentagon's own estimate: $39 billion to clean up PFAS at all contaminated bases. But that assumes cleanup technology works — which it often doesn't. The real cost could be double.

Bien Hoa Air Base: The Most Contaminated Spot on Earth

Bien Hoa Air Base, 20 miles northeast of Ho Chi Minh City, was the main storage and mixing site for Agent Orange during the Vietnam War. Dioxin levels in the soil are 365 timesthe international safety standard — making it one of the most toxic places on Earth.

The US has pledged $500 million for Agent Orange cleanup in Vietnam — spread over decades. Cleanup at Bien Hoa alone will cost $265 million and take 10+ years. Meanwhile, Vietnamese children are still being born with Agent Orange-related birth defects 60+ years later.

Fallujah: The Cancer Capital of Iraq

After the two US sieges of Fallujah in 2004, researchers documented dramatic increases in cancer, birth defects, and infant mortality. A 2010 study found cancer rates 38 times higherthan normal for leukemia, and birth defect rates 14 times the normal rate.

The Pentagon denies any link between DU and health effects, citing a 2013 WHO study that found "no clear increase in birth defects." However, the WHO study excluded the most affected neighborhoods and relied on hospital records in a city where most births happen at home due to security concerns.

Gulf War Syndrome: The Cover-Up

Of the 700,000 US troops who served in the 1991 Gulf War, approximately 250,000 — more than one-third — report chronic health problems collectively known as Gulf War Syndrome. For decades, the Pentagon and VA claimed the symptoms were psychological.

A 2008 congressional report finally acknowledged Gulf War Syndrome as a real condition caused by toxic exposures. But by then, thousands of veterans had died without receiving proper care. The VA continues to classify many cases as "undiagnosed illness" with reduced disability ratings.

The Cost of Moving the Military

The Pentagon uses 100 million barrels of oil per year — more than the entire country of Greece. Transportation accounts for 70% of military energy use, with aviation fuel being the largest component.

The Pentagon's fuel bill: $17+ billion annually. That's more than the entire budget of many federal agencies. And it doesn't count the environmental cost of burning all that fuel.

Camp Lejeune: Poisoning Our Own

From 1953 to 1987 — 34 years — the drinking water at Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune was contaminated with industrial solvents at levels up to 3,400 times the safe limit. An estimated 1 million people were exposed, including pregnant women and children.

Marine Jerry Ensminger fought for justice after his daughter Janey died of leukemia at age 9. It took him 25 years to get the government to admit responsibility. As of 2024, over 300,000 claims have been filed under the Camp Lejeune Justice Act. Fewer than 1,000 have been paid.

Marshall Islands: America's Nuclear Colony

The Marshall Islands bore the brunt of US nuclear testing. Between 1946 and 1958, the US detonated67 nuclear weapons there — equivalent to 1.6 Hiroshima bombs every day for 12 years. The Castle Bravo test (1954) was 1,000 times more powerful than Hiroshima.

The US paid $150 million total compensation to the Marshall Islands — for the permanent destruction of an entire nation's homeland. The Marshallese government estimates actual damages at $3.4 billion.

The Runit Dome — a concrete cap containing 111,000 cubic yards of radioactive soil — is now cracking due to climate change and rising seas. The very environmental crisis partly caused by US emissions is now threatening to release stored nuclear waste into the Pacific Ocean.

Downwinders: Irradiating Americans

Atmospheric nuclear testing at the Nevada Test Site sent radioactive fallout across Utah, Nevada, and Arizona. The 928 tests exposed an estimated 340,000 "downwinders" to significant radiation. They were mostly rural, mostly Mormon, and trusted their government. That trust was betrayed.

The Radiation Exposure Compensation Act (RECA) was finally passed in 1990 — but payments were limited to $50,000 and covered only specific counties. The act expired in June 2024 after Congress failed to reauthorize an expanded version. Thousands of downwinders died waiting for justice.

The Hanford Nuclear Reservation: America's Chernobyl

The Hanford Nuclear Reservation in Washington state produced plutonium for nuclear weapons from 1943-1987. It's now the most contaminated site in the Western Hemisphere. Cleanup costs have reached $124 billion and are projected to reach $300+ billionover 75 years.

Hanford employed 50,000+ people at its peak. The Columbia River was knowingly contaminated with radioactive materials for decades. Cancer clusters appeared in downstream communities, but the connection was denied for years. Cleanup will continue into the 22nd century.