A Pacific paradise turned military laboratory, bearing the deep scars of nearly a century of experimentation and hazardous waste disposal
In the vast expanse of the Central Pacific, approximately 825 miles southwest of Hawaii, lies Kalama (Johnston Atoll), an unincorporated U.S. territory that embodies a profound paradox. This remote atoll, now a crucial wildlife refuge within the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument, bears the deep scars of nearly a century of military experimentation and hazardous waste disposal2 .
Southwest of Hawaii
Seabirds nesting on the atoll
Chemical weapons destroyed
Its story is one of ecological resilience amidst profound human alteration, where the calls of nesting seabirds now echo over soil contaminated by plutonium and the ghostly infrastructure of chemical weapon destruction3 . Johnston Atoll stands as a stark case study in what scholars term "imperial ruin"—a place where the geopolitical ambitions of the 20th century have left a permanent inscription on both landscape and memory.
The recent proposal and subsequent suspension of rocket testing plans in July 2025 highlights the continuing pressure to repurpose this fragile ecosystem for military innovation, reminding us that the atoll's history is far from settled2 .
Johnston Atoll's strategic location in the Pacific Ocean made it an irresistible asset for U.S. military operations beginning before World War II3 . This "oasis for reef and bird life" gradually transformed into a testing ground for some of the most destructive technologies ever conceived3 .
The story of Johnston Atoll exemplifies the concept of "imperial ruin," where former military outposts continue to exert environmental and cultural influence long after their strategic purposes have faded.
These sites represent what philosopher Timothy Morton calls "hyperobjects"—entities of such vast temporal and spatial dimensions, like radioactive contamination or climate change, that they defy complete comprehension yet fundamentally alter our world.
The atoll also illustrates the "politics of memory" that museums and heritage sites grapple with1 . Whose stories are told about these places?
The military's narrative of strategic necessity often overshadows Indigenous perspectives and the ecological costs, similar to how museums have traditionally marginalized certain histories1 . The Hawaiian name "Kalama" itself represents a reclamation of this heritage against the grain of military naming practices2 .
The atoll's military intensification begins, including atmospheric nuclear testing that leaves the island contaminated with radioactive plutonium.
The Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal System (JACADS) becomes operational, incinerating 400,000 chemical weapons filled with deadly mustard and nerve agents.
The island facility is officially decommissioned, though the Air Force retains ownership and control3 .
The Department of Air Force proposes testing giant cargo rocket landings for its Rocket Cargo Vanguard program, then suspends plans in July 2025 following significant public opposition2 .
The Johnston Atoll Chemical Agent Disposal System (JACADS) represents one of the most ambitious and hazardous environmental cleanup operations ever conducted. This facility was designed to address the stockpiling of toxic chemical munitions that had made Johnston Atoll one of the most dangerous places in the Pacific.
Chemical weapons, including over 400,000 munitions containing deadly mustard and nerve agents, were carefully transported to the JACADS facility on Johnston Island.
Personnel, including media visitors, underwent extensive safety training including health checks, emergency gas mask drills, and training with emergency injectors in case of chemical release.
Munitions were systematically disassembled and incinerated at extremely high temperatures designed to break down the toxic agents into less hazardous components.
Continuous environmental monitoring ensured that any potential releases would be detected immediately, though the process always carried significant risk.
The JACADS program successfully destroyed 400,000 chemical weapons, eliminating an immediate threat that had been stockpiled on the island. However, this "success" came with significant complications. The process required maintaining a substantial industrial infrastructure in a fragile island ecosystem, with personnel living in close proximity to both the ongoing incineration and the pre-existing plutonium contamination3 .
The larger corrective action at Johnston Atoll continues today under an EPA Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) permit that went into effect in December 20183 . There are Solid Waste Management Units and Areas of Concern that require ongoing maintenance and monitoring, indicating that the cleanup is far from complete3 .
The JACADS experiment demonstrates both the technological capability to address hazardous waste legacies and the profound challenges of doing so in already-compromised ecosystems.
| Category | Examples | Significance |
|---|---|---|
| Seabirds | 15 species including red-tailed tropicbirds, great frigatebird | Habitat for ~1.5 million seabirds; world's largest known nesting population of red-tailed tropicbirds2 3 |
| Marine Life | 300+ fish species, 32,000 acres of coral reef, sea turtles, monk seals2 | Only shallow water and dry land area in 450,000 square miles of ocean3 |
| Cultural Heritage | Indigenous Pacific Islanders' voyaging traditions2 | Site of cultural and spiritual significance for Pacific navigation traditions2 |
| Contaminant Type | Source | Current Status |
|---|---|---|
| Radioactive Plutonium | Failed 1960s rocket launches | Buried and capped on the island; potential risk if disturbed |
| Chemical Weapon Residues | Storage and disposal of chemical agents | JACADS facility decommissioned; ongoing monitoring3 |
| Other Hazardous Waste | Nearly a century of military operations2 | Corrective Action ongoing under RCRA permit3 |
Timeline of major contamination events at Johnston Atoll
Researchers and regulatory agencies employ specialized tools and methods to monitor the ongoing environmental situation at Johnston Atoll:
| Tool/Method | Function | Application at Johnston Atoll |
|---|---|---|
| Environmental Monitoring Wells | Sample groundwater for contaminant migration | Tracking potential movement of chemical or radioactive contaminants through the aquifer3 |
| Wildlife Population Surveys | Census species abundance and health indicators | Monitoring nearly 1.5 million seabirds across 15 species for population trends and health impacts2 3 |
| Water Quality Sampling | Analyze chemical parameters in marine waters | Assessing health of coral reefs and fish populations in surrounding waters3 |
| Remote Sensing/Satellite Imagery | Track landscape changes without physical presence | Monitoring caps and containment structures for plutonium-contaminated soil |
| RCRA Corrective Action Framework | Regulatory oversight of hazardous waste cleanup | EPA permitting process ensuring ongoing maintenance and monitoring of contaminated sites3 |
Representation of wildlife populations at Johnston Atoll
Relative persistence of different contaminants at Johnston Atoll
Johnston Atoll stands at a crossroads today. The recent suspension of rocket testing plans in July 2025 demonstrates the power of collective advocacy and heightened environmental awareness2 . As the Pacific Islands Heritage Coalition declared, "This moment shows that collective advocacy works. We will continue to stand for the protection and healing of this special place"2 .
"This moment shows that collective advocacy works. We will continue to stand for the protection and healing of this special place." - Pacific Islands Heritage Coalition2
Yet the fundamental tensions remain unresolved. The atoll continues to be under Air Force ownership and control3 , positioned within a protected national monument yet still subject to proposals for military reuse. The buried radioactive plutonium from 1960s testing represents a nearly permanent contamination that will require monitoring for generations.
Radioactive contamination with a half-life of 24,100 years
Home to 1.5 million seabirds across 15 species
Known as Kalama to Indigenous Pacific Islanders
The environmental justice questions raised by concentrating so much hazardous activity in a remote Pacific location continue to echo, particularly for Indigenous Pacific Islanders for whom Kalama holds cultural and spiritual significance2 .
Johnston Atoll embodies what scholar Rob Nixon calls "slow violence"—the gradually unfolding environmental harms that lack the spectacular drama of immediate disaster but accumulate relentlessly over time. Its story challenges us to reconsider what true restoration means in landscapes so profoundly altered that they can never return to their pre-military condition. The atoll's future will serve as a telling indicator of how we choose to acknowledge, remediate, and learn from the environmental costs of 20th-century geopolitical ambitions.