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Oct 7, 2026

Supreme Court hears challenge to Air Force munitions disposal in Guam

The Supreme Court heard arguments over whether the Air Force must conduct environmental review before detonating unexploded World War II-era munitions in Guam, with environmental groups contending the practice threatens the island's main water source.

Oct 7, 20264 sources

Top claims

▪Prutehi Guahan stated that the U.S. Air Force disposal range is located on ancestral land seized by the military after World War II, adjacent to culturally significant fishing and medicine-gathering locations
▪The U.S. Air Force argues that its permit application to detonate munitions at Tarague Beach under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act is not a final agency action and displaces the environmental review requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act
▪The U.S. Air Force has used Tarague Beach at Andersen Air Force Base in Guam to detonate and dispose of unexploded ordnance, including bombs, landmines, and missiles, since 1982

Subtopics

Environmental regulation1 Supreme Court1 Water security1

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