October 8, 2024
The U.S. military has recently admitted officially for the first time that PFAS, which is known to cause cancer, may have leaked out of the U.S. Yokota Air Base in Tokyo.
This came out in an answer a Defense Ministry official gave to Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Councilors Yamazoe Taku and JCP member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly Aoyagi Yukiko at a hearing held on October 7.
According to the official, the Defense Ministry on October 3 received a report from the U.S. military that it is highly probable that water containing PFAS leaked out of the base on August 30.
Yamazoe said, “It is irresponsible for the U.S. Forces Japan to report the leak more than a month after it occurred.” He asked for more detailed information, including the specific location to which the water leaked out, and demanded that the Japanese government conduct a PFAS on-site investigation at the Yokota AB.
The official responded, “The ministry is not aware of any specific information.” In regard to the on-site investigation, he said that “if such a request is made from concerned local governments, we will ask the U.S. side to accept their requests.” He, however, did not clearly say if the national government would conduct such an investigation.
Past related article:
> Possibly due to PFAS, US military will stop using on-base drinking water wells [June 12, 2024]
This came out in an answer a Defense Ministry official gave to Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Councilors Yamazoe Taku and JCP member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly Aoyagi Yukiko at a hearing held on October 7.
According to the official, the Defense Ministry on October 3 received a report from the U.S. military that it is highly probable that water containing PFAS leaked out of the base on August 30.
Yamazoe said, “It is irresponsible for the U.S. Forces Japan to report the leak more than a month after it occurred.” He asked for more detailed information, including the specific location to which the water leaked out, and demanded that the Japanese government conduct a PFAS on-site investigation at the Yokota AB.
The official responded, “The ministry is not aware of any specific information.” In regard to the on-site investigation, he said that “if such a request is made from concerned local governments, we will ask the U.S. side to accept their requests.” He, however, did not clearly say if the national government would conduct such an investigation.
Past related article:
> Possibly due to PFAS, US military will stop using on-base drinking water wells [June 12, 2024]
