United States Navy in Vieques, Puerto Rico

From 1941 to May 1, 2003, the United States used Vieques, Puerto Rico, for naval training and testing. Some current studies show drastic increases in health problems which may or may not be related to toxic materials left on Vieques from the Navy’s occupation. The people of Vieques demand the U.S. clean up the toxic materials they left behind; but the Navy argues that residents of Vieques have not been negatively affected by the 60-year occupation, and that data showing high cancer rates, high infant mortality, vibroacoustic disease, and radiation contamination is misguided . Whether or not the U.S. should be forced to further clean up the island still remains an issue.

History

Expropriation

At the outbreak of World War II the U.S. envisioned Vieques as a naval base. The U.S. government originally bought a section of Vieques to help prepare troops for war. Vieques seemed perfect for training because it lay outside of commercial transportation lines, therefore allowing ships and aircraft to practice realistically, and thus increase combat effectiveness . However, after the attack on Pearl Harbor, investing in a small base in the middle of the Caribbean did not seem tactful .

From 1941 to 1942 the U.S. Navy expropriated 22,000 acres (89 km²) of Vieques’ 33,000 acres (130 km²). At first it did not appear as though the Navy would return to the island as a strong presence; but with the onset of the Cold War, the U.S. switched from a policy of disarmament to a policy of “permanent armed competition” . By 1963 the Navy’s holdings totaled 22,600 acres (91.5 km²) — about 70% of the island .

In 1947 the Navy announced its desire to use Vieques for training. In 1948 bombing exercise began, and then continued for the next 55 years . The eastern half of Vieques was used for bombing practices, and the western half was used for weapons storage .

Military withdraws

Due to years of protests from the people of Vieques, in 2001 the Navy left western Vieques, which had been used as an ammunition depot. Now the Fish and Wildlife controls 3,100 acres (13 km²) of this land — about half of the formerly owned military property. Over the course of U.S. Navy occupancy, nearly 22 million pounds (10,000 t) of military and industrial waste, such as oils, solvents, lubricants, lead paint, acid and 55 US gallon (200 L) drums, were deposited on the western portion of the island. As cited by McCaffrey, according to the Universidad Metropolitana, the extent of leaching is unknown. In 2005 the Navy was investigating 17 potentially contaminated sites .

On May 1, 2003 the Navy finished turning over all of its lands to the U.S. Department of the Interior. This included the Navy’s entire eastern portion of the island — 14,573 acres (58.97 km²) — which was mainly used as a dumping ground . McCaffrey cites data from the U.S. Navy:

Vieques was bombed an average of 180 days per year. In 1998, the last year before protests interrupted maneuvers, the Navy dropped 23,000 bombs on the island, the majority of which contained explosives .

The live impact range, which is the most contaminated zone, was given the highest protected environmental status — that of a “wilderness preserve”. The Fish and Wildlife Service boasts that Vieques Wildlife Refugee is an ecologically diverse Caribbean refuge. However, the Environmental Protection Agency (“EPA”) has declared the refuge a superfund site. Much of the lands are now termed wildlife refuges, meaning that humans are not allowed on the land, therefore allowing the Navy to avoid cleanup. Whether or not the U.S. made the land a wildlife refuge strictly to avoid cleaning up the island is still debated .

Alleged contamination and health effects

U.S. Navy vehicles line one of many beaches of Camp Garcia, Vieques.

A survey by the Puerto Rico Health Department revealed that the cancer rate in Vieques is 27% higher than mainland Puerto Rico. In a federal lawsuit, Vieques’ environmental groups and residents accused the Navy of causing “more damage than any other single actor in the history of Puerto Rico” . The prosecutors claimed that the Navy’s activities contaminated much of the eastern portion of the island with a wide range of toxic substances. As cited by Franciscans International, according to the Navy’s figures, throughout the course of six decades about 5 million pounds (2,000 t) of ordnance was dropped on Vieques every year. Ordnance included toxic compounds and elements such as arsenic, lead, mercury, cadmium, depleted uranium and napalm, and tons of a fiberglass-like substance. Most of these toxins are persistent, meaning that they bioaccumulate .

For decades environmentalists have complained that contaminants from naval exercises have spread to other parts of the island though the air, water, and soil. The people of Vieques live downwind from where the bombing was done; thus toxins that can be airborne — such as DU — could easily come in contact with civilians. Representative Charles Rangel, D-N.Y., investigated contamination in Vieques and discovered that “A number of studies conducted by well-qualified scientists from universities in the United States and in Puerto Rico reveal that there is a high probability that the compounds released by the Navy exercises and chemical testing created toxic levels in the environment and could be the cause of serious medical conditions affecting the people of Vieques.” .

Heavy metals

A study by the Puerto Rico Health Department cited high levels of heavy metals in plants, animals and humans . In the 980 acre (4 km²) live impact range on the eastern tip of island, studies have shown that the ground water is contaminated by nitrates and explosives . Furthermore, unexploded weapons, ordnance, and sunken barges litter the floor of the Caribbean Sea . Testing done in the Icacos Lagoon showed concentrations of cadmium in crabs to be 1,000 times higher than the World Health Organization's “tolerable ingestion maximum dosage.” Furthermore, toxic levels of heavy metals, including lead, arsenic, selenium, mercury and zinc, have been found in several species of fish. In the lawsuit conducted by environmentalists and the people of Vieques against the Navy, the prosecutors noted that most residents of Vieques use many of these same species of fish as a source of food . Cadmium and arsenic are carcinogenic. One study from 1999 that tested hair samples from various age groups of Vieques residents revealed that 69% were contaminated with cadmium and arsenic, and 34% had toxic levels of mercury .

Biologist Arturo Massol and radiochemist Elba Díaz conducted a study in January 2001 that showed vegetables and plants growing in the civilian area of Vieques were highly contaminated with heavy metals such as lead, cadmium, and copper. Furthermore, they discovered that metal concentrations in edible crops were both substantially above the maximum levels set by the European Union Council and much higher than plants tested in mainland Puerto Rico. Chiles, pasture grasses, and squashes were more effected than plants with deeper root systems such as trees. This is consistent with the theory that heavy metals travel by air to civilian areas via the steady easterly trade winds that blow directly from the bombing zone .

High levels of heavy metals appear to be causing increased cancer and infant mortality rates, and childhood asthma. Mercury affects the brain, cardiovascular system, kidneys and the developing fetus . A study by the Puerto Rico Health Department linked abnormally high levels of asthma in children to mercury contamination . In 2004 the infant mortality rate in Vieques was 55% higher than the other 77 municipalities in Puerto Rico—a rate of almost 20 per 1000 live births as opposed to 12.8 .

Depleted uranium

In addition to the toxic materials that the Navy had been dropping on Vieques since the 1940s, in 1999 the Navy “accidentally” fired depleted uranium bullets . The Navy admitted to firing just 263 rounds of depleted uranium bullets but Doug Rokke, one of the world’s leading authorities on depleted uranium, contested that 263 rounds is “not even a burst of automatic gunfire.” Planes that fire depleted uranium ammunition shoot three to four thousand rounds per a minute. Furthermore, the pentagon keeps close track of all ammunition, therefore the firing could not have been a mistake . Based on a report by RAND, a research corporation, the U.S. Department of Defense claims DU doesn’t compromise human health. However, Dan Fahey, the Director of Research at the Gulf War Resource Center, points out that the RAND report was incomplete: it ignored 68 relevant sources that show clear relationships between DU and harm to human health . While the health effects of DU are largely unknown, it is believed to cause cancer, the phenomenon know as Gulf War Syndrome, radiation poisoning, and respiratory problems.

Sonic booms

Even the noise created by the Navy’s testing appears to have negatively affected the health of civilians living on Vieques. In a study conducted for Vieques Governor Calderon, 48 of the 50 Vieques residents tested suffered from vibroacoustic disease — a thickening of heart tissue caused by exposure to sonic booms . Simultaneously, the Ponce School of Medicine conducted an independent study and found other data to confirm the presence of vibroacoustic disease: 79% of Viequenses fishermen have thickened heart tissue, which is the main symptom of vibroacoustic disease. This disease may lead to heart arrhythmia, or even death .

Health risk speculation

Live explosives and gunfire were only used on a small portion of the island—the live impact area, which is located over eight miles from the nearest town. Although areas that were used decades ago for burning expired ammunition take up less than 300 acres (1.2 km²) and thus likely do not pose a serious health risk, the Navy has agreed to clean up the sites according to EPA standards. Furthermore, no civilians were ever hit by Navy fire. At a press conference in 2001 the Honorable Robert B. Pirie, Under Secretary of the Navy, said that: “Our training poses no danger and little burden to Viequenses and is absolutely vital to our national security.” .

Since most of the studies linking the Navy’s actions to the decline of public health were done by researchers affiliated with the Puerto Rico Independence Party, Pirie claimed that “none of the health-related allegations made have stood-up to credible scientific scrutiny or universally accepted legal standards.” Pirie also cited that according to the National Cancer Institute, cancer rates in many major U.S. cities are actually higher than the cancer rates in Vieques. According to Dr. Carmen Feliciano, figures drawn from her data about an increased infant mortality rate in Vieques are misled. The group that used her information omitted a range of data. When that data was factored in the infant mortality rate was actually lower than that in the rest of Puerto Rico . On behalf of the Navy, Johns Hopkins University School of Hygiene and Public Health conducted a $46,000 review of the study on vibroacoustic disease done by the Vieques government. In April 2001 the university reported that there was no evidence to conclude that vibroacoustic disease symptoms on Vieques were due to noise from Navy exercises . Furthermore, the report suggested that vibroacoustic disease may not actually exist .

There are three different mediums through which humans can come in contact with hazardous materials: air, water, and soil. The United States Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (“ATSDR”) tested water, air, and soil quality in order to determine whether the health of the Viequenses were at risk. In all cases the ATSDR found that either the Navy had not effected the environment or that the Navy had affected it so minimally that the contamination would pose no threat to human health . However, other scientists contend that ATSDR’s studies were incomplete. The ATSDR is notorious for denying links between community contamination and health affects. After monitoring the ATSDR for ten years, Linda King of the Environmental Health Network reported that only one ATSDR study among hundreds has found contaminants in the community to be the cause of health problems .

ATSDR studies

Fish and shellfish pathway

After conducting tests on fish and shellfish, the ATSDR determined that it is safe to eat seafood from all waters and coastal lands around the island of Vieques. Even though several metals were detected in the local seafood, ATSDR concluded that the metals would not pose a health risk even if a person ate fish and shellfish every day for 70 years. No explosives were detected in the edible fish and shellfish that were tested .

Soil pathway

The ATSDR acknowledges that Navy training has elevated the levels of some metals in the soil of the former Live Impact Area, but holds that the levels are too low to harm humans. Making contact with any of the soil on Vieques would not cause adverse health effects .

Air pathway

The ATSDR found that the air does not contain dangerous levels of chemicals. Since the Live Impact Area is over eight miles from residential areas, airborne dust and contaminants from training activities disperse to harmlessly low levels before coming in contact with civilians .

Groundwater pathway

After testing the groundwater, the ATSDR determined that Naval training and testing has in no way affected the drinking water on Vieques. First of all, most of the island’s drinking water comes through an underwater pipeline from mainland Puerto Rico. Secondly, groundwater from the former Live Impact Area cannot leach into wells due to geological barriers. High levels of nitrates in some wells are due to local, most likely agricultural, sources. It is not safe for children and pregnant women to drink water from these few contaminated wells .

ATSDR studies contended

The ATSDR avoided drawing links between the Navy training and health concerns on Vieques. For example, the agency neglected to test several relevant wells, including the Sun Bay Wells, which serve as the backup water supply for Vieques in case the pipeline from mainland Puerto Rico breaks down. Furthermore, the Navy’s claim that groundwater from the testing site cannot reach residential groundwater supplies may be false. At a public meeting, when asked why the Navy had installed monitoring wells designed to track the spread of explosive contaminants between the impact area and the civilian area, the ATSDR refused to comment. Also, the ATSDR did not adequately emphasize negative findings in their report. For instance, high levels of benzene—more than four times the maximum allowed—were found in a groundwater well on the Navy’s property .

Cleanup

The Navy will conduct an environmental investigation of its previously-owned property under the federal Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) to determine what cleanup actions are needed. The EPA has been providing technical assistance and guidance to the Navy on environmental issues related to the land transfer in western Vieques . However, it will be difficult to discover what measures the U.S. must take because thick jungle growth inhibits testing for contaminants. Furthermore, jungle growth cannot be easily removed because the forests are littered with unexploded ordnance .

See also

• Navy-Vieques protests
• Navy-Culebra protests