Japan Press Weekly

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2008 September 3 - 9 [US FORCES]

USS N-sub Houston meets resistance from Nagasaki Prefectural Assembly

The Nagasaki Prefectural Assembly on September 3 unanimously adopted a statement that the U.S. nuclear-powered submarine Houston must not be allowed to enter Sasebo Port until its safety is verified.

The statement says that the radioactivity leaks from the Houston caused great anxiety among citizens of the atomic-bombed prefecture of Nagasaki, and considers it unacceptable to allow the vessel to come into the local port without clear safety control and disaster prevention measures established.

The statement demands that the Japanese government take the following steps:

- It should strictly implement the required procedures to provide information regarding safety;
- It should request the United States to conduct an investigation to determine the cause of the recent radioactivity leaks, take preventive measures, and ensure safety;
- It should increase the number of monitoring posts at southern Sasebo Port;
- It should request U.S. forces’ participation in disaster prevention drills in the event of a radioactivity leakage; and,
- It should request the United States to reactivate the prior notification system on the arrival and departure schedules of U.S. nuclear-powered warships.

The Japanese Communist Party Nagasaki Prefecural Committee has urged the prefectural government to refuse the entry of the USS Houston into Sasebo Port.

Horie Hitomi, a JCP member of the Nagasaki Prefectural Assembly, said, “It is significant for the Nagasaki Prefectural Assembly to find common ground in the effort to ensure the safety of Nagasaki residents, regardless of differences over the Japan-US Status of Forces Agreement.”