Vieques Environmental Contamination: Federal Studies and Findings

The environmental contamination of Vieques from six decades of U.S. Navy bombing (1941-2003) is documented in multiple federal studies — making it one of the most thoroughly studied cases of military environmental contamination in U.S. history, and one of the least remediated.

Key Studies

EPA Superfund Listing: In 2005, portions of Vieques were added to the EPA's National Priorities List (Superfund) — acknowledging that the contamination met the threshold for the most serious environmental cleanups in the nation.

ATSDR Health Assessment (2003, 2013): The Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry conducted health assessments finding:
- Elevated levels of heavy metals (lead, mercury, cadmium, arsenic) in soil and water
- Unexploded ordnance across the bombing range and surrounding areas
- Contamination of fish and shellfish in waters around Vieques
- Napalm, depleted uranium, Agent Orange (alleged but disputed), and conventional explosives residues

Cancer Studies: Multiple studies have documented:
- Cancer incidence rates in Vieques significantly higher than the Puerto Rico mainland average
- Elevated rates of specific cancers including thyroid, colorectal, and childhood cancers
- Community health surveys documenting respiratory illness, skin conditions, and reproductive health problems

What Was Used on Vieques

During 60 years of bombing, the Navy tested and used:
- Conventional bombs and artillery shells (thousands of tons)
- Napalm (confirmed by Navy records)
- Depleted uranium rounds (confirmed — at least 263 rounds fired in 1999)
- Chaff and flares containing aluminum and other metals
- Smoke-producing agents
- Various experimental munitions

Agent Orange: Viequenses and advocacy groups have alleged that Agent Orange or similar herbicides were tested on Vieques. The Navy has denied this. The issue remains contested, with some veterans' accounts supporting the allegation.

The Cleanup

The Navy transferred the former bombing range to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service in 2003, designating it a wildlife refuge. Cleanup has been:
- Extremely slow (still ongoing over 20 years after bombing ended)
- Focused on surface clearance of unexploded ordnance rather than deep soil decontamination
- Criticized by community organizations as inadequate
- Complicated by the sheer volume of contamination and unexploded ordnance

The Human Cost

The people of Vieques — who were forced to live adjacent to a bombing range for 60 years — continue to experience elevated cancer rates, respiratory illness, and heavy metal exposure. The contamination cannot be separated from the colonial context: no community on the U.S. mainland was subjected to comparable military contamination for a comparable period.

Vieques is not just an environmental cleanup — it is an ongoing crime scene.