2000年初，美國空軍發佈了一份未註明日期的情況說明書，表示陰謀論是一場惡作劇，部分源自於美國空軍大學於1996年起草的戰略文件《作為力量倍增器的天氣：2025年呼風喚雨》（Weather as a Force Multiplier: Owning the Weather in 2025）[16][17]。這份文件是為了響應到2025年維持美國軍事影響力，概述日後建立策略性天氣改造（英語：Weather modification）系統的軍事指令而提出的，是「未來情況或情景的虛構展示」[17]。2005年，空軍進一步澄清，該文件「不反映目前的軍事策略、實踐或能力」，「未來沒有開展任何天氣改造系統試驗或計劃的計劃[5][18]。」此外，空軍表示化學尾跡惡作劇持續遭受調查，並受到眾多權威高校、科研組織或主流媒體的駁斥[5]。
2001年，美國國會議員丹尼斯·庫辛尼奇為回應選民訴求，擬定（但沒有簽署）法案編號H. R. 2977（第107屆）2001年太空保護法案（Space Preservation Act of 2001），永遠禁止在太空中使用武器，將化學尾跡列為將被禁止的「異國武器」[35][36][37]。支持者將這一對化學尾跡的明確提及，解讀成政府承認其存在[20][38]。懷疑論者指出，質詢中的法案提到「外形武器」和「環境、氣候或構造武器」。法案受到美國國防部的不利評價，最終死在委員會手上，之後庫辛尼奇三次嘗試製定太空保護法案未果[39]，文本均沒有提及化學尾跡。
Fraser, Stephen. Phantom menace? Are conspirators using aircraft to pollute the sky?. Current Science. 2009, 94 (14): 8–9 [2018-04-22]. （原始內容存檔於2016-08-18）. Some theorists speculate that the goal is population control; some say it's climate modification; others say it's military weapons testing.
Watson, Traci. Conspiracy theorists read between lines in the sky. USA Today. 2001-03-07: A.04 [2018-04-03]. （原始內容存檔於2012-12-17）. Exasperated by persistent questions, the Environmental Protection Agency, NASA, the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration joined forces last fall to publish a fact sheet explaining the science of contrail formation. A few months earlier, the Air Force had put out its own fact sheet, which tries to refute its opponents' arguments point by point. "If you try to pin these people down and refute things, it's, 'Well, you're just part of the conspiracy,' " says atmospheric scientist Patrick Minnis of NASA's Langley Research Center in Hampton, Va. "Logic is not exactly a real selling point for most of them."
James, Nigel. Knight, Peter , 編. Contrails. Conspiracy Theories in American History: An Encyclopedia (ABC-CLIO). 2003: 197–199 [2018-04-22]. ISBN 978-1-57607-812-9. （原始內容存檔於2021-02-06）. there are no books on the subject to date. Reports on contrails are carried by dedicated websites...Mainstream news agencies rarely report on concerns over contrails, and when they do it is in terms of anti-government 「paranoia.」 When USA Today ran a contrail story it likened the story to something out of The X-Files, arguing that it was only those who are suspicious of the government who believe that lines in the sky are evidence of malfeasance.Some suggested that they are trying to slow down global warming with compounds that reflect sun-light into the sky.
Cama, Timothy. EPA confronts ‘chemtrails’ conspiracy talk. the Hill. 2015-03-13 [2016-12-10]. （原始內容存檔於2016-10-24）. Conspiracy theorists say that government officials or others are using jets to spray harmful chemicals into the atmosphere. They cite the contrails left by jets as evidence of the chemicals. The EPA has added a new notice to its website, which links to a fact sheet explaining that the trails left by jets in the atmosphere are only ice particles and contain no harmful chemicals. 「Contrails are line-shaped clouds or 『Condensation trails』 composed of ice particles that are visible behind jet aircraft engines under certain atmospheric conditions and at times can persist,」 says the notice, posted to the EPA’s website Friday. 「EPA is not aware of any deliberate actions to release chemical or biological agents into the atmosphere.」 Theorists have posited that the chemicals are meant to control the climate, to harm humans or to kill them. The fact sheet from the EPA and other federal agencies like the Federal Aviation Administration and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration was first published in 2000, when the chemtrails conspiracy became popular on the Web. An EPA spokeswoman said the agency frequently receives questions about chemtrails.
Smith, Oliver. 'Chemtrails' and other aviation conspiracy theories. telegraph.co.uk. the Telegraph. 2013-09-24 [2016-12-11]. （原始內容存檔於2016-12-22）. So persistent is the chemtrail theory that US government agencies regularly receive calls from irate citizens demanding an explanation...The conspiracy theory took root in the Nineties, with the publication of a US Air Force research paper about weather modification...Governments and scientific institutions have of course dismissed the theories, and claim those vapour trails which persist for longer than usual, or disperse to cover a wide area, are just normal contrails.
Paul Simons. Weather Eye: contrail conspiracy. The Times. 2013-09-27 [2018-04-03]. （原始內容存檔於2015-03-15）. This conspiracy idea took hold in 1996 when the US Government was accused of trying to modify the weather for military means
Cairns, Rose. Climates of suspicion: ‘chemtrail’ conspiracy narratives and the international politics of geoengineering. The Geographical Journal. March 2016, 182 (1): 70–84. doi:10.1111/geoj.12116. Preprint available here （頁面存檔備份，存於互聯網檔案館）
37th Parliament, 2nd Sessions Edited Hansard; Number 110 Contents. Publications: Debates: Committees of the House: Petitions: The Environment 1030. Parliament of Canada. 2003-06-03 [2009-04-13]. （原始內容存檔於2010-11-18）. Mr. John Herron (Fundy—Royal, PC): Mr. Speaker, I am presenting a petition on behalf of Mr. Brian Holmes of Ontario regarding aerial spraying. Mr. Holmes has collected signatures from across the country from concerned Canadians who believe that chemicals used in aerial sprayings are adversely affecting the health of Canadians. The petitioners call upon Parliament to stop this type of high altitude spraying. The petition has been duly certified by the clerk and I present it at this time.
House of Commons Hansard - 8 November 2005: Column 314W-315W. United Kingdom Parliament. 2005-11-08 [2009-03-12]. （原始內容存檔於2009-06-15）. Mr. Morley: The Department is not researching into chemtrails from aircraft as they are not scientifically recognised phenomena.
"Lake Oroville Runoff Enhancement Project" Final Report （頁面存檔備份，存於互聯網檔案館） submitted to California Dept. of Water Resources Division of Operations and Maintenance (September 1995); published by US Department of the Interior's Bureau of Reclamation Technical Service Center, River Systems and Meteorology Group.
Abstract: "Bureau of Reclamation cooperated with California Department of Water Resources to design and implement a snowpack augmentation program to increase runoff to Oroville Reservoir. The program involves collection of data to document physical processes leading to increased precipitation. This report summarizes main results from 3 yr of in-situ physical studies and statistical analysis of precipitation data collected during 87 randomized seeding cases. Liquid propane released from high elevation sites has proven to be a viable, reliable method of seeding wintertime clouds in the Sierra Nevada."
