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Bombs in Our Backyard

Investigating One of America’s Greatest Polluters

The Pentagon has poisoned millions of acres and left Americans to guess at the threat to their health. Its oversight of thousands of toxic sites has been marked by defiance and delay.

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Bombs in Our Backyard

Defense Inspector General to Investigate Military’s Toxic Open Burning

The inquiry will evaluate whether the polluting practice is legal, and whether contractors have proper oversight.

by Abrahm Lustgarten,

Bombs in Our Backyard

Congress Aims to Force Pentagon Reform on Open Burning of Munitions

A provision of the latest proposed defense spending bill mandates that the Department of Defense address one of its longstanding and dangerous sources of pollution.

by Abrahm Lustgarten,

16 stories published since 2017

How the EPA and the Pentagon Downplayed a Growing Toxic Threat

by Abrahm Lustgarten,

Suppressed Study: The EPA Underestimated Dangers of Widespread Chemicals

by Abrahm Lustgarten, Lisa Song and Talia Buford,

Get an Inside Look at the Department of Defense’s Struggle to Fix Pollution at More Than 39,000 Sites

by Abrahm Lustgarten,

Canadian Research Adds to Worry Over an Environmental Threat the Pentagon Has Downplayed for Decades

by Abrahm Lustgarten,

Long Story Short

by Abrahm Lustgarten,

War at Home

by Ranjani Chakraborty and Abrahm Lustgarten,

The Bomb That Went Off Twice

by Abrahm Lustgarten,

Bombs in Your Backyard

by Lena V. Groeger, Ryann Grochowski Jones and Abrahm Lustgarten,

Reporting Recipe: Bombs in Your Backyard

by Ryann Grochowski Jones and Abrahm Lustgarten,

How Military Outsourcing Turned Toxic

by Abrahm Lustgarten,

Dangerous Pollutants in Military’s Open Burns Greater Than Thought, Tests Indicate

by Abrahm Lustgarten,

Kaboom Town

by Abrahm Lustgarten,

In Colfax, Echoes of Another Conflict

by Ashley Gilbertson/VII Photo,

One Year, One Facility, 1.7 Million Pounds of Hazardous Waste Burned in Open Air

by Lylla Younes,

Open Burns, Ill Winds

by Abrahm Lustgarten,

Toxic Fires

by Hilary Fung,

What We’re Watching

During Donald Trump’s second presidency, ProPublica will focus on the areas most in need of scrutiny. Here are some of the issues our reporters will be watching — and how to get in touch with them securely.

Learn more about our reporting team. We will continue to share our areas of interest as the news develops.

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Sharon Lerner

I cover health and the environment and the agencies that govern them, including the Environmental Protection Agency.

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Andy Kroll

I cover justice and the rule of law, including the Justice Department, U.S. attorneys and the courts.

Photo of Melissa Sanchez
Melissa Sanchez

I report on immigration and labor, and I am based in Chicago.

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Jesse Coburn

I cover housing and transportation, including the companies working in those fields and the regulators overseeing them.

If you don’t have a specific tip or story in mind, we could still use your help. Sign up to be a member of our federal worker source network to stay in touch.

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