ATSDR Study: Cancer Rates in Vieques (2013)

The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR), a division of the CDC, published studies on the health impacts of U.S. Navy activities on Vieques, Puerto Rico.

Key findings across multiple reports (2003, 2009, 2013):

Contamination: The ATSDR documented extensive contamination of Vieques's soil, water, and marine environment with:
- Heavy metals: mercury, lead, cadmium, arsenic, copper
- Explosives residues: TNT, RDX, HMX
- Depleted uranium (confirmed used in at least one 1999 incident)
- Napalm residues
- Unexploded ordnance throughout the bombing range

Health Findings:
- Cancer incidence in Vieques was 27% higher than in mainland Puerto Rico
- Heart disease mortality was 26% higher than in mainland Puerto Rico
- Diabetes rates were significantly elevated
- Mercury levels in Vieques fish samples exceeded FDA safety thresholds
- Elevated levels of heavy metals were found in residents' hair, blood, and urine samples

Criticism of ATSDR: The ATSDR was criticized by community groups, epidemiologists, and Congress for:
- Conducting a health assessment rather than a comprehensive health study
- Failing to establish direct causal links between contamination and health outcomes
- Using methodology that underestimated exposure pathways
- Not recommending the full cleanup demanded by Vieques residents

The EPA designated parts of Vieques as a Superfund site in 2005. As of 2024, cleanup is far from complete, and the Navy estimates full remediation could take until 2032 or beyond. The cost of cleanup has been estimated at over $400 million.

Viequenses continue to suffer elevated rates of cancer and other diseases while living adjacent to contaminated land that the federal government is legally responsible for cleaning.