JCP urges U.S. Forces to stop NLP at Atsugi Base

The Japanese Communist Party Kanagawa Prefectural Committee on October 15 requested that the U.S. Atsugi Naval Air Station Commander cancel the planned touch and go exercises called night-landing practices (NLP) by Yokosuka-based U.S. carrier Kitty Hawk-borne aircraft from October 20 to 22.

The JCP also called for a halt to all kinds of flight training of the carrier-borne aircraft and an end to the use of the Yokosuka port as Kitty Hawk's homeport.

JCP city assembly members of Yamato, Ayase, Sagamihara, Fujisawa, Zama, and Ebina, where residents have been greatly affected by the roar of the aircraft during the flight training exercises handed a protest letter to the U.S. Forces public relations officer.

The protest letter said that those city offices received 5,481 phone calls complaining about noise in 2000, 5,177 in 2001, and 4,298 from January to September this year.

The letter pointed out that the flight training area has been widened and that telephone complaints in Sagamihara City have been increasing.

In Ebina City, junior high schools will hold midterm examinations on days when the NLP are scheduled. The Ebina Education Board on October 11 requested the U.S. Atsugi Base commander not to carry out the NLP.

The protest letter expressed strong anger at the U.S. Forces for refusing to change the NLP plan, and ignoring repeated requests to refrain from conducting NLPs when school children are having examinations.

The U.S. Forces did not carry out NLPs for about a year since September 2000 when Yamato City mayor declared to stop friendly exchanges with the U.S. Forces because the roar of NLPs seriously annoyed the city's people.

But the NLPs have been resumed after the September 11 terror attacks last year. (end)