The U.S. Air Force and Navy both rank among the top 100 polluters in America, and many of their now-abandoned bases have been declared Superfund sites by the EPA. Here's how two of these bases tackled the toxic stews left behind.
As the U.S. prepares to complete the latest round of base closures, tens of thousands of military personnel and civilian employees will be on the move in the next 12 months. For military families, moving can involve some difficult choices.
Unlike the military base closures that occurred in the 1990s, the 20 bases that the government is scheduled to close next year come at a time of great economic uncertainty. Not only will the closures take a toll on already-suffering local economies but it could also send real estate markets in those areas spiraling further downward.
When Loring Air Force base in Limestone, Maine, closed, more than 75% of the area's population left. Sixteen years later, 1,400 new jobs have been created, and people are slowly coming back. Here's how the community is rebuilding its economy.
When the government closed California's Castle Air Force Base, the future looked grim for surrounding Merced County. Yet, even though the area's unemployment and foreclosure rates are among the highest in the nation, the community is starting to stage a comeback.
When Lowry Air Force base closed in 1994, the surrounding area not only lost a major employer (which supplied some 7,000 people with jobs) but it also took a big chunk out of the area's population -- and threatened its economy.