Japan Press Weekly

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2016 December 7 - 13 [POLITICS]

Okinawa court rejects provisional injunction request on US military helipad construction in Takae

The Naha District Court on December 6 rejected an application for a provisional injunction filed by a group of 31 local residents seeking to stop the ongoing construction work of U.S. military helipads in Higashi Village’s Takae District in Okinawa.

The plaintiffs point out that there are already two completed helipads near their community and that Ospreys and other military aircraft frequently fly to and from the site, causing health damages to the local people through loud noises and low-frequency emissions. The residents demand that the construction of an additional four helipads be canceled on the grounds that the noise damages will become even more severe once the landing pads are completed and handed over to the U.S. military.

As a reason for the rejection, the court stated that at least at present, the court has yet to have enough evidence to conclude that Osprey noise emissions will pose serious health problems to residents nearby.

Yokota Tatsushi, the plaintiffs’ lawyer, at a press conference after the ruling said that the court disregarded the residents’ anxiety concerning health damages. He stressed that the rejection of the provisional injunction request effectively means lending a hand to more noise pollution and it is unacceptable.

Isa Ikuko, one of the plaintiffs, stated that the court’s decision is tantamount to the imposition of Osprey flights on not only the Takae community but also to residents in the rest of Okinawa.

Past related article:
> Okinawans demand court injunction against construction of US helipads [September 22, 2016]