Guam residents confront decades-long pesticide contamination amid expanding U.S. military buildup

In Yigo, Guam, a routine water-quality alert revealed that tap water contained hazardous levels of dieldrin, a persistent organochlorine pesticide banned in the United States in 1987. Lawyer and activist Leevin Camacho traced the contamination to a well near Andersen Air Force Base, which has listed dieldrin as a chemical of concern since the early 1990s. While Joint Region Marianas has not yet confirmed the base as the source, officials note that past widespread pesticide use could also be a factor.

The finding coincides with a massive Pentagon buildup that includes new missile-defense sites, a Marine Corps base, and expanded training ranges, reshaping Guam’s landscape and threatening Indigenous cultural sites. Governor Lou Leon Guerrero highlights the billions of dollars flowing into the local economy, yet community leaders and groups such as We Are Guåhan argue the island is being turned into a “sacrifice zone” with mounting health, environmental and climate risks. Legal actions have already secured millions in compensation for other contamination cases, and activists are pressing for accountability and a referendum on Guam’s political status.