Johnston Atoll is an uninhabited coral atoll in the Pacific Ocean that serves as a United States territory, as well as a National Wildlife Refuge. It consists of four small islands on a 9-mile reef - Johnston Island, Sand Island, Hikina Island, and Akau Island. The formation of this atoll was said to have begun around 70 million years ago through a series of volcanic eruptions on the ocean floor. In 1807, Captain Charles James Johnston of HMS Cornwallis discovered Johnston Atoll. Hawaii claimed it in 1858, and later it became a US possession. Until 1890, the island was mined for guano. After that, it was developed into an airplane/seaplane base. This was during WWII, and a time when nuclear testing, spy technology, and chemical weapons were being created through private programs. Johnston Atoll had developed facilities that could handle these types of programs. It is one of the most isolated atolls in the world and a perfect place to perform secret military operations. Because the Atoll was used by the US Air Force for test launchings of nuclear missiles, it has since become filled with a landfill of plutonium-contaminated waste. The US military has been fined several times since then for improperly handling deadly substances on the island. The US Fish and Wildlife Service is concerned about the possibility of eventual radioactive leakage. It is not open to the public; but, through a Special Use Permit, when it has been approved as an appropriate purpose to visit, the public can access the island. Today, Johnston Atoll is a home to a variety of wildlife, including red-tailed tropicbirds, 300 different species of fish, and 32,000 acres of a shallow coral reef.
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