Japan Press Weekly

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2014 July 23 - 29 [POLITICS]

Environmental NGO demands halt to new US base construction

Representatives of the Nature Conservation Society of Japan (NACS-J), an environmental NGO, made representations on July 24 to the Defense Ministry, seeking a halt to the planned construction of a new U.S. military base off the Henoko coastal area of Okinawa’s Nago City.

They pointed out that contrary to the results of an environmental assessment conducted by the ministry, it has recently turned out that dugongs, which are designated as an endangered species, utilize the waters as their main feeding grounds.

NACS-J Chairman Kameyama Akira stressed, “The authorities should take the fact seriously into consideration that a number of eating marks left by dugongs were found after the assessment was completed. The Japanese and U.S. governments ought to cancel the construction project immediately and reexamine the potential environmental impact.”

Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Representatives Akamine Seiken joined the representations.

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The U.S. Marine Corps in Okinawa forcibly held landing drills on July 23 in the sea area for the new base construction, using amphibious boats.

Local residents protested against the drills from the coast, calling out, “Don’t destroy the natural environment!”

Past related article:
> Demolition work of old buildings in Henoko begins for new US base construction [July 2, 2014]