NASA Health Plans for Indian River Lagoon After Decades of Pollution

Fight For Zero
Oct 3, 2021
3 min read

Updated: May 24

Cleaning Up Legacy Contamination on Florida’s Space Coast

For decades, the space industry has played a major role in Brevard County, Florida—also known as the Space Coast—conducting rocket testing and using chemicals that were often released into the environment. Many of these substances are now known to harm both the ecosystem and human health.

A History of Hazardous Waste

NASA began identifying and assessing contamination at its facilities in the 1980s. Today, toxic materials such as arsenic, lead, selenium, titanium, chromium, cadmium, perchlorate, and others are still being disposed of at Cape Canaveral Space Force Station’s Open Burn Unit.

In 2005, the EPA requested that groundwater be tested for perchlorate—a toxic rocket fuel ingredient—near launch sites. Testing was never conducted, largely because no federal standard exists for perchlorate, and it is often remediated only when found alongside other regulated contaminants.

At Kennedy Space Center, NASA has identified PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) as a contaminant of emerging concern. These “forever chemicals” have been found in wildlife blood samples at levels among the highest ever recorded. PFAS exposure is linked to:

Cancer
Weakened immune response
Liver and kidney damage
Heart defects
Increased cholesterol
Thyroid disease
Reduced fertility

Additionally, groundwater testing revealed trichloroethylene (TCE) concentrations as high as 300,000 parts per billion at Kennedy Space Center—far above the EPA’s drinking water safety threshold of 5 parts per billion. TCE is a known carcinogen.

A Flawed System of Oversight

NASA operates under two primary federal environmental laws:

CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act)
RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act)

While these laws provide a framework for remediation, there are gaps in regulation. For example:

The EPA does not routinely track perchlorate.
The space industry is not required to report perchlorate contamination.
States implementing RCRA are not obligated to notify the EPA of perchlorate findings.

These regulatory shortcomings mean that contaminants without enforceable federal safety limits—like PFAS and perchlorate—are often overlooked, allowing pollution to persist with minimal accountability.

The Indian River Lagoon Crisis

In its recently released Indian River Lagoon Health Plan, NASA acknowledged numerous contributors to the lagoon’s decline, including:

Urban development
Stormwater runoff
Wastewater discharge
Wetland loss
Dredging and invasive species
Overfishing

Despite local efforts, the lagoon’s condition has worsened dramatically over the past decade—especially due to algal blooms fueled by nutrient runoff from fertilizers, sewage, and industrial waste. The result has been massive seagrass die-offs and the deaths of 957 manatees, with 320 lost in Brevard County alone.

NASA began operations in 1958. By the 1960s, declines in water quality became noticeable as population growth surged alongside space industry expansion. Although direct sewage discharges into the lagoon were banned in 1996 under the IRL System Act, the damage had already taken hold. By 2012, scientists were finding tumors in lagoon wildlife, and by 2016, algal blooms were visible from space.

High Mercury Levels in Local Ecosystems

NASA’s health plan also discusses the presence of mercury contamination in the Atlantic coastal waters, where elevated levels have been found in fish, dolphins, and humans consuming seafood from these areas. Mercury becomes most dangerous when converted into methylmercury, a potent neurotoxin formed by sulfate-reducing bacteria. High methylmercury levels have been documented in:

Dolphins
Sportfish
Alligators
Raccoons

These findings raise serious concerns about human and wildlife exposure, particularly among communities that rely on fishing. NASA’s plan proposes expanded monitoring to better understand mercury’s sources and impacts.

NASA’s Role in Restoring the Lagoon

After 70 years of environmental degradation, NASA is now publicly committing to playing a more active role in cleaning up the Indian River Lagoon. According to its health plan, NASA aims to:

Identify pollution sources from Kennedy Space Center and reduce them
Restore seagrass beds and clams
Remove accumulated muck
Expand shoreline habitats
Reduce reliance on septic systems
Partner with environmental organizations to monitor wildlife, algae blooms, and nutrient levels

"The space industry must now take responsibility for the long-term impacts its operations have had on Florida’s environment and public health," said Stel Bailey, Executive Director of Fight for Zero. “The Indian River Lagoon can’t wait any longer.”

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