The US Military Contracted Burn Pits No One Is Talking About | Overlooked

The US military contracts one of the largest hazardous waste handlers in North America to burn millions of pounds of munitions near a low-income and predominantly Black community in Louisiana called Colfax. The facility, Clean Harbors Colfax LLC, is the only commercial facility in the country allowed to open burn munitions waste such as HEI cartridges, propellants and even fireworks from Disneyland with little environmental emissions controls, and has been doing so since the 80s to the detriment of the people who live nearby. Residents of Colfax are complaining that the toxic air that moves off-site into their homes and the contaminants that seeps into their soil and groundwater is making them sick with skin rashes, breathing problems and cancer.

VICE heads to Colfax to document the stories of residents, citizen groups and environmental activists who are going against the giants of industry and government, refusing to back down until their community breathes clean air once again.

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[VICE]

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[md-erwz]

I live in Colfax La, and we've hated clean harbor for many years, thank you Vice for giving a voice to the voiceless

[floridafilmscavengerhunt]

This is the first time I’ve ever heard of this. Thank you for bringing awareness. Hopefully Colfax has more advocates now!

[quantumman]

That greenhouse part really pissed me off. Not only is that plastic really expensive but any crops he grows in there are probably carcinogenic now. Never ceases to amaze me what we are willing to do to our brothers and sisters to save a few bucks.

[spaceinvaders]

This is the type of VICE journalism we need. Great work.

[CliffSturgeon]

As a vet formerly serving at a burn pit base who knowingly accepted that bad things could happen to me, I'm super upset that this is happening to civilians.

[sofascialistadankulamegado]

This is really staggering. I simply can not believe that is actually happening. What the hell is wrong with these people who authorised these burn pits?

[KiraraGrl]

The fact that this company deliberately gave themselves an environmentaly friendly name while being fully aware the destruction they cause to nature and people around them speaks volumes of the people in the business. As well as to the ones who support them.

[goldenprincess]

If it's too dangerous for the landfills, then those things are TOO DANGEROUS for the air, the 🤬🤬🤬

[proteinfart]

Glad to Vice and these individuals reporting on these issues, being deployed and having burn pits near a lot of us is definitely concerning.

[db]

thanks for exposing this. I can’t believe open burn pits are going on around people. I experienced this first hand being deployed, so I know how bad it sucks living near one. It shows how money is more important than peoples lives.

[dmpstr]

Don't ever stop the work you do Vice ❤ Much respect to your team.

[ike]

That's horrible what the government is letting go on in Colfax. I lived in Alexandria as a kid and remember going through Colfax many times. It's a shame for not only the people but c for the land, and water the wildlife there .I hope it's stopped and another solution can be reached to dispose of this waste.

[MelGibsonFan]

I spent about 10 months or so of my 14 month deployment directly exposed to burn pits. Within a about six months of getting back I had developed chronic sinusitis, my nasal passages constantly inflamed, unable to breathe through my nostrils with nearly 80% reduced capacity. Within about 12 to 18 months I had developed asthma, despite still being enlisted and still getting roughly a 260 to 270 on my APFT. After ever run I would need to up to two or three pumps of albuterol. Every night I would wake up with phlem nearly choking me, often dark brown, sometimes bloody. My bilirubin levels were chronically high, inflamation has been a constant. Now, 12 years later I have a near permanent yet subtle wheeze and a wind up motor like sound when I cough. I have been diagnosed with COPD in my thirties despite trying to maintain decent cardio vascular health.

I can't imagine what these people are going through.

[Levi-vsvh]

Now this is the Vice i love! Great work bringing light to the unheard, mistreated.

[jfilms]

This is proper journalism. Using a platform to promote good within REAL communities. I hope vice continues to pick up stories that “mainstream media” only helps to cover up. Good work

[HiddenMis]

My favorite part is how it's called "Clean Harbors"

[keenfire]

I was a Marine for 14 years and spent 6 years between Iraq and Afghanistan. While on my last deployment my lungs collapsed from a burn pit. Now I can barely move without being winded.

[hehehe]

Thanks Vice for bringing attention to this, hope to see a follow up vid in a year or so

[chadcook]

This is insane that this is allowed and the government is allowing this. I couldn't imagine what these people are going through my prayers are with them this is heartbreaking. I hope this gets shut down for the sake of their lives. Absolutely absurd that these people have to go through this.