# Supreme Court Rules on Air Force Waste Disposal in Guam

> Supreme Court to decide if U.S. Air Force can continue hazardous waste disposal on Guam beach.
- Title: Supreme Court Rules on Air Force Waste Disposal in Guam
- Summary: Supreme Court to decide if U.S. Air Force can continue hazardous waste disposal on Guam beach. The Supreme Court will determine whether the U.S. Air Force…
- Keywords: u.s. air force, prutehi guåhan, tarague beach, guam, national environmental policy act, resource conservation and recovery act, supreme court, hazardous waste disposal, news, politics, world, Supreme
- Source: Straight Arrow — https://san.com/cc/the-air-force-disposes-of-hazardous-waste-in-guam-the-supreme-court-will-decide-if-it-can-continue
- Published: 2026-10-07T15:48:20+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: u.s. air force, prutehi guåhan, tarague beach, guam, national environmental policy act, resource conservation and recovery act, supreme court, hazardous waste disposal, news, politics, world
## Supreme Court Hearing
The U.S. Supreme Court is hearing arguments Wednesday on whether the U.S. Air Force can continue hazardous waste disposal operations on Tarague Beach in Guam.
## Environmental Dispute
The dispute centers on whether the Air Force's permit-renewal application can be challenged in court and whether an environmental review is required before applying for the permit.
## Historical Context
The Air Force has used Tarague Beach for hazardous waste disposal since 1982, with practices changing over the years including stopping open burning in the early 2000s.
## Environmental Significance
Tarague Beach sits above an aquifer that supplies drinking water to much of Guam, making it environmentally and culturally significant.
## Legal Challenge
Prutehi Guåhan filed a lawsuit in May 2021 arguing the Air Force must conduct an environmental review under NEPA before applying for its permit.
## Legal Arguments
The Air Force claims NEPA does not require a separate review because RCRA already regulates hazardous waste disposal operations.
## Current Status
The Supreme Court will weigh both legal questions after hearing arguments Wednesday to decide if the Air Force can continue operations.
## Key takeaway

The Supreme Court will determine whether the U.S. Air Force can continue hazardous waste disposal operations on Tarague Beach in Guam after a lawsuit by environmental group Prutehi Guåhan.