Japan Press Weekly

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2014 June 4 - 10 [US FORCES]

JCP local assembly members urge state to reduce noise pollution near US Atsugi base

Japanese Communist Party assemblypersons and peace activists in municipalities near the U.S. Atsugi base in Kanagawa Prefecture on June 4 petitioned the Defense and Foreign ministries to prevent the excessive noise pollution caused by U.S. military aircraft during their flight training exercises.

The U.S. military on May 25 and 26 carried out a training drill for military jet pilots to practice short take-offs and landings on an aircraft carrier. Each day, military jets returned to the Atsugi base after the training between midnight and early morning with an ear-splitting roar.

Data released by Yamato City, one of the two base-hosting cities, indicated that the military airplanes returned to the base between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m. and that the highest noise level reached 106.7 decibels equal to the level of a noise produced by car horn.

The petitioners pointed out that the U.S. military jets attending the carrier landing training drill should have remained at the aircraft carrier being used as a training-base until they finished the exercise.

Citing the fact that local governments neighboring the Atsugi base received 261 complaints from residents over two days, they urged the authorities to request the U.S. forces to not conduct the drill anymore.

A Defense Ministry official said that the training exercise is necessary to meet the objectives of the Japan-U.S. Security Treaty and from the point of view of maintaining military jet pilot’s flight skills and ensuring constant combat readiness.