The United States faces mounting international pressure to address environmental contamination at 36 abandoned military sites in Greenland, where investigations by the newspaper Politiken and the European Investigative Collaborations (EIC) network have identified significant hazardous waste. Findings include up to 100,000 rusted oil barrels, over 400,000 liters of diesel, and 24 million liters of radioactive wastewater, alongside heavy metals like lead and cadmium, left behind after decades of Cold War-era operations.
What is the scale of the contamination?
The environmental footprint left by U.S. military operations on Greenland is vast and largely unmonitored. According to Politiken, the contamination includes PCB, lead, and cadmium detected at nearly every surveyed base. In Narsarsuaq, which served as a major U.S. base during World War II, residents report seeing oil barrels, discarded vehicle batteries, and asbestos sheets scattered along the coastline. Storch Lund, a resident of Narsarsuaq for over 50 years, told Politiken that the site remains a “chaotic” landscape where oil has seeped into the water for decades and aircraft were intentionally submerged in the fjord.
Why are these sites currently in the spotlight?
The environmental debate has intensified because the U.S. government has expressed interest in reopening several of these long-abandoned installations. While the 1951 defense agreement granted the U.S. the right to establish military areas without a legal obligation to restore them to their original state, the prospect of a return has sparked political backlash in Greenland. Aleqa Hammond, former head of the Greenlandic government, characterized the state of the bases as a “shame” and an indicator of how the U.S. treats the island’s territory. Bentiaraq Ottosen of the Atassut party echoed this sentiment, stating that the U.S. has effectively “stuck to their responsibility” by dumping scrap and vehicles into the natural environment.
The U.S. military presence in Greenland dates back to 1941, when the U.S. secured rights to build bases despite formal protests from Denmark. Currently, only the Pituffik Space Base in northern Greenland remains active.
Who is responsible for the cleanup?
Responsibility for the environmental remediation remains a point of diplomatic friction between the U.S., Denmark, and Greenland. The U.S. maintains that Greenland should oversee the cleanup, while Greenlandic officials argue the party that generated the waste should bear the financial burden. Historical attempts to resolve the issue have had mixed results. A 1990s agreement between Denmark and the U.S. mandated that the Americans “remove or neutralize” hazardous waste; however, when the U.S. exited the Dundas area in 2002, they declined to perform the cleanup, leaving Denmark to assume the role. Despite requests from the United Nations for a resolution, the U.S. has not contributed funds toward the remediation of the vast majority of these sites.
Future trends in Arctic sovereignty
The tension over abandoned bases coincides with renewed U.S. interest in Greenland’s strategic value. Recent rhetoric from U.S. officials, including special envoy Jeff Landry, has suggested potential for the U.S. to expand its influence on the island. As climate change makes Arctic territories more accessible, these environmental liabilities represent a significant diplomatic hurdle. Future negotiations will likely be forced to reconcile the U.S. desire for an expanded military footprint with the Greenlandic government’s demand for environmental accountability and the remediation of legacy waste.
Frequently Asked Questions
- Are these sites dangerous to the public? Yes, the presence of asbestos, lead, cadmium, and radioactive wastewater poses significant environmental and health risks, particularly as many sites have not been thoroughly surveyed.
- Did the U.S. agree to clean up the bases? A 1990s agreement suggested the U.S. should remove hazardous waste, but the U.S. has refused to fund cleanup efforts at specific locations, such as Dundas, leading to a stalemate.
- How many bases are involved? Investigations have identified at least 36 former U.S. military bases and installations across Greenland.
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