Demo flights by U.S. helicopters reveal loud noise around new U.S. base site in Okinawa

U.S. helicopter test flights in Okinawa's Nago City, where the government is planning to construct a new U.S. Marine Corps base, have shown that the area will be much disturbed by noise equivalent to an expressway crowded with vehicles.

Although the survey was partial and limited, four helicopters from the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station took part in the test flight on March 10. Nago's new base is being planned as the substitute for the Futenma base, which will be closed.

According to the Naha Regional Defense Facilities Administration Bureau (DFAB), the U.S. Forces monitored noise at 15 points in Nago City and neighboring villages when the helicopters flew at four separate courses on the sea, each 1.1, 1.4, 2.0, and 3.0 kilometers from the Henoko district where the new base will be constructed.

At several points within two kilometers, noise recorded over 72 decibels, with the highest noise level of 83 dB in the Henoko district.

The government's environmental standard limits 60 dB for residential area and 65 dB for areas facing traffic roads both as the maximum. "The result of the demo flight is quite different from what the government has so far explained. If the new base is constructed, Nago residents will be disturbed by noise because they have long been accustomed to a quiet life," Okinawa's daily Ryukyu Shimpo says.

Nakamura Zenko, secretary general of the Nago Council against the Construction of U.S. On-Sea Heliport, said:

"Helicopter noise at Futenma is far louder than the released result. The government is tricky in giving us insufficient data.

"The result, however, showed how dangerous the new base will be for the residents. Once the new base is constructed, they must live under extremely loud noise everyday, much more time than the expected level.

"The central and Okinawan local governments are now studying the land-fill plan for the base construction. However, now is the time for Japan's government to give up its idea of constructing the state-of-the-art U.S. military base at Nago." (end)