what are the environmentals problems in vieques?

Answer 1

Vieques, an inhabited island of 9,400, off the east coast of Puerto Rico, has been occupied by the US Navy since 1941 and used as a bombing range for live ammunition, shelling, strafing, and illegal chemicals such as napalm and depleted uranium, contributing to deaths, injuries and a cancer rate among Viequenses which is 26.9% higher than the rest of Puerto Rico.

- Ecological Damage
The immediate effects of the bombings in Vieques are the destruction of delicate ecosystems in the island, which supports hundreds of species of plants and animals that are killed instantly upon the direct impact of the projectiles during military target practices.

Furthermore, these bombings and military maneuvers lead to serious contamination of the environment due to toxic residues:
(1) Chemicals in the Missiles’ explosive payloads
(2) Dust and rock particles released into the air as a result of the impact and/or explosion of missiles
(3) Metallic residues left by missiles after they detonate, and the junk and scrap heap they use for target practice.
"According to information provided by the Navy, this material is never removed…Under the effects of additional explosions and sea breezes, metals are oxidized or decomposed, turning in accelerated fashion into leachates that pollute the environment",

Also the sources of drinking water in Vieques' Isabel Segunda village and Barrio Esperanza are polluted with toxic chemicals, like TNT, tetryl and RDX. In the 70's, the US Environmental Protection Agency sampled Vieques' air and soil; they determined that the air has unhealthy levels of particulate matter and the ground has iron levels above normal.

- High Levels of Cancer & Health Problems
The people of Vieques suffer from high levels of cancer and other serious health problems. There is a documented increase in extremely rare diseases, like, for example, Scleroderma, lupus, thyroid deficiencies, and not-so-rare ones, like asthma. The only possible cause is air pollution. We don't have factories here, the only source of air pollution here is the Navy.

Answer 2

The people have high rates of cancer and other diseases [but, mostly high cancer rates] due to the chemicals from the bombing of the island. Many of the chemicals [including Agent Orange - which was used there before it was used in Vietnam] seeped into the waters and the soil. A good percent of the island and the air is contaminated from the bombing [the island went thru almost half a century bombings, etc].
If I remember correctly, about 2/3s of the island belonged to the military with the people squeezed in between 2 bases. One part was used for trainings and air raids, etc, while the other was used for storage.

There are leftover weapons & shells of bombs, etc., on the land and in the waters which has hurt the marine life.
The island needs extensive cleaning. But, like Hawaii, the U.S. military is reluctant to admit the extreme damage it has caused to the island and are procrastinating in giving them the money to clean up the island.