Hi there,

Independent media is more important than ever. Speaking up and telling the truth is becoming increasingly dangerous. Because we are only sponsored by you—not by governments or corporations—we can continue to bring you courageous journalism in a landscape filled with disinformation. If every person who came here for news this month gave just $15, we would be fully funded for a year. Thanks to a group of generous donors, all donations today will be TRIPLED, which means your $15 gift is worth $45. If you believe that freedom of speech and freedom of the press are essential to the functioning of a democratic society, please donate today. Every dollar makes a difference. Thank you so much.

Democracy Now!
Amy Goodman

Non-commercial news needs your support.

We rely on contributions from you, our viewers and listeners to do our work. If you visit us daily or weekly or even just once a month, now is a great time to make your monthly contribution.

Please do your part today.

Donate

America’s Secret Sites: The Air Force’s “Area 51” in Nevada

Listen
Media Options
Listen

U.S. and British military planes once again bombed Southern Iraq yesterday, with Iraqi officials accusing the U.S. of targeting civilian sites. The planes conducted 75 missions in one day over the US-British imposed no-fly zones.

Thousands of miles away, in a remote area of Nevada, the U.S. Air Force operates a top-secret site, where it conducts tests on missiles and airplanes. Located near Lake Groom, the site has been known for years as “Area 51,” a place of mythological proportions that inspired the hit movie “Independence Day” and episodes of the television series “The X Files.” Ufologists insist that it is a place where the U.S. military tests and tinkers with alien technology.

What seems to be beyond dispute is that the site is used for testing new aircraft technology under what is known as “black budget” (highly classified) programs. The work there is considered so secret that workers at the site must sign documents preventing them from even admitting where they work or what they do. Until recently, the U.S. military denied the very existence of the site. But they were forced to acknowledge it after lawsuits were filed on behalf of two workers who died from mysterious ailments, presumably from being exposed to highly toxic substances there–although they were never told what exactly killed them.

We are joined by a man who for years has fought the air force to gain access to information about the environmental hazards in “Area 51.” He sued both the Air Force and the Environmental Protection Agency on behalf of the two workers and others, who claimed that for years, the military has been taking advantage of “Area 51’s” “black” status to get rid of toxic waste in illegal and hazardous ways. The information that he has pried so far from the government and from witnesses is considered so “top secret” that the air force persuaded a federal judge to classify his entire office at George Washington University, where he heads the Environmental Crimes Project. Anyone entering that office is in violation of national security and can be arrested.

Guest:

  • Jonathan Turley, Director of the Environmental Crimes Project at George Washington University’s National Law Center. He sued the Pentagon and the Environmental Protection Agency on behalf of two workers at “Area 51” who died of undisclosed ailments from exposure to toxic substances.

Related Story

StoryMay 26, 2025“Sinners”: Director Ryan Coogler on His Latest Hit, Delta Blues, His Mississippi Roots & Vampires
The original content of this program is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 United States License. Please attribute legal copies of this work to democracynow.org. Some of the work(s) that this program incorporates, however, may be separately licensed. For further information or additional permissions, contact us.

Non-commercial news needs your support

We rely on contributions from our viewers and listeners to do our work.
Please do your part today.
Make a donation
Top