Japan Press Weekly

Tweet

2011 October 12 - 18 [OKINAWA]

Environmental assessment for new US base construction becomes finalized by end of year

The central government on October 17 announced that it plans to release a final environmental impact assessment (FEIA) in preparation for the planned construction of a new U.S. base at Henoko in Okinawa’s Nago City as an alternative to the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station by the end of this year.

Apparently, this is because Prime Minister Noda Yoshihiko was urged by the U.S. president to produce a desirable result in regard to the issue of relocating the Futenma base at the summit meeting last month in New York.

The government spokesperson at a press conference made the announcement about the FEIA while Defense Minister Ichikawa Yasuo on his visit to Okinawa informed the governor of the FEIA.

Okinawa Governor Nakaima Hirokazu again expressed his position demanding that the central government move the Futenma base outside the prefecture. However, he said that he will not deny the environmental impact study itself.

After the meeting with the Okinawa governor, the Defense Minister also met with Nago City Mayor Inamine Susumu.

Inamine said, “The central government position of maintaining its support of the transfer of the Futenma base to Henoko in defiance of Okinawan people’s opposition has created the recent turmoil.”

He also added, “More and more people are calling for the revision of the Japan-U.S. agreement and opposing the base relocation within the prefecture. In order to put the relocation plan back on the drawing board, I want the Japanese government to call on the U.S. government to reconsider the bilateral agreement.”