EARTH DAY 2025: Trump Team to Tackle Joint Base McGuire Pollution

[BREAKING NEWS ADDENDUM: At the time of the following Press Release by Steve Spacek for public viewing, 4:30 pm EST 4/22, The New York Times, CNN and CBS News reported Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth was embroiled in a controversy, of publicly sharing detailed information about forthcoming strikes in Yemen on March 15 in a private Signal group chat. Newsweek reported The Pentagon, where Hegseth works, is now in a “state of chaos, of meltdown." Axios and The Guardian said Nebraska Republican Congressman Don Bacon suggested Hegseth be removed from his Secretary position. NBC News and Politico observed President Trump’s response: Hegseth has done no wrong, supports him 100 percent, and plans to keep him on board leading the U.S. Armed Forces].

By STEVE SPACEK American State Litter Scorecard

WASHINGTON,D.C. April 21, 2025--As the world celebrates the 55th Earth Day, there are growing concerns of U.S. federal authorities inducing environmental degradation of public properties, according to STEVE SPACEK, Director of The AMERICAN STATE LITTER SCORECARD. In the last 25 years one federal authority group--the U.S. Military and its membership--have come under scrutiny as contributors to this conundrum.

Now, newly appointed leaders for the Trump Administration-- Health and Human Services ROBERT F. KENNEDY Jr., Defense PETE HEGSETH and Environmental Protection LEE ZELDIN-- are joining forces, combining their talents to reduce, even eliminate, glaring ecological and health harms from Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst (McGuire), and from adjacent public lands and waters.

The Scorecard, known for reporting on "Where is and Whose Is Littering and Dumping Waste in the USA," disclosed in the previous decade that NEW JERSEY--then, as now-- is a member of the USA's "Ten Biggest, Most Waste Littered States." The Garden State is where Death By Littering and Dumping incidents end the lives of approximately 30 persons EACH YEAR, STATEWIDE.

A sizeable portion of Active Duty working at McGuire are Persons Ages 18-25. That young adult age demographic are noted in national state littering and scientific study findings as PROFILED LITTERERS, people who are most prone or willing to litter waste, anytime and anywhere. And, another group often working at the base-- Cigarette Smokers and Vapers -- are also a PROFILED LITTERERS group, have contributed to the terrible pollution enigmas found at McGuire.

Since the 2000’s MOTHER JONES journalist Ruqaiyah Zarook, THE WASHINGTON POST Lyndsey Layton, NBC NEWS and THE SPOKANE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW have reported on adverse Department of Defense (DoD) environmental practices by Active Duty personnel. Zarook wrote of "decades of Military resistance" to follow binding U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) 'Final Clean Up Orders,'" putting "soldiers and communities at risk.” Layton disclosed congressional hearing findings released by the late John Dingell, then-chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee. Dingell said at the time, "the U.S. Military evaded the law through political maneuvers.” And, NBC NEWS and THE SPOKESMAN-REVIEW exposed McGuire and other bases found to be with "high levels of toxic Forever Chemicals in their drinking water, …posing as an imminent, substantial danger to the health of personnel and civilians."

KENNEDY Jr. has been an outspoken observer of Armed Forces comportment in regards to America's public health and the environment. In a 2003 article published in the CHICAGO TRIBUNE (and then as only a non-governmental public figure) he alleged the U.S. Federal Government was "America's
Biggest Polluter," with the Pentagon (DoD) being "its worst offender." Kennedy purported Defense for "contaminating over 15 million acres of public land and water with unexploded ordinance waste, possibly containing biological or chemical weapons."

Last November 14, CBS EVENING NEWS reported on Kennedy’s HHS nomination and his intent to work alongside Defense nominee Hegseth -- later confirmed Secretary. They shared a plan to implement a new operational mantra for the Military, dubbing the plan "MakeThePentagonCleanAgain." Both told of their “readiness to work” with Zeldin, the newly confirmed EPA Secretary, "to tackle long ignored DoD pollution."

The following month, Spacek of the Scorecard reached out to Kennedy and Hegseth for their thoughts on these developments, with phone calls and emails. Shortly thereafter they responded personally, with written feedback, acknowledging accuracy of their publicized comments, including the created Pentagon operational slogan. In return, Spacek sent them a post from his X.com account [@litterscorecard], congratulating both, wishing the very best for the Trump Administration and for any and all Department of Defense bases like McGuire affected by cultures of noxious environmental morality.

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