Around 5,000 miles (8,000 kilometers) from Los Angeles and just north of the equator, on a sliver of coral in the Pacific, a cracked concrete dome quietly weathers the tide. This is the Runit Dome, known locally as “The Tomb," and inside it lies a Cold War secret the US would rather forget: 3.1 million cubic feet (87,782 cubic meters) of radioactive waste, dumped after decades of nuclear testing in the Marshall Islands.
Between 1946 and 1958, the US detonated 67 nuclear bombs here, vaporizing islands, displacing communities, and leaving behind a toxic legacy. Today, rising sea levels threaten to crack the Tomb wide open, yet the US claims the mess is no longer its responsibility. Meanwhile, China is cozying up to Pacific Island nations, hoping to expand its influence, and in the process, forcing Washington to finally face the ghosts of its nuclear past.
As oceans rise and rival powers close in, the question remains: who will take responsibility before it's too late? Click on to find out.