Japan Press Weekly

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2016 April 20 - 26 [US FORCES]

US Kadena AB leaked harmful materials 13 times over 6 years

At the U.S. Kadena Air Base in Okinawa, a total of 13 leaks of fuel and toxic water occurred between 2010 and 2016. This was recently revealed in a government response to the written question submitted to the Abe Cabinet by Japanese Communist Party member of the House of Representatives Akamine Seiken.

Of the 13 accidents, eight were fuel leakages and two were of a foam extinguishing agent. The leaked agent was scattered outside by the wind in January 2011 and in April 2014.

It is unclear whether the fire foam contained PFOS, an organofluoric compound banned in Japan. The U.S. military has failed to recover the poisonous substances which escaped the base site.

At the Chatan water filtration plant near the air base, which provides drinking water to seven municipalities in the south central region of the main island of Okinawa, PFOS was detected in January this year.

Meanwhile, U.S. military documents, which independent journalist Jon Mitchell obtained using the freedom-of-information act, state that a total of 206 leakage accidents occurred on the base between 2010 and 2014. This indicates that the U.S. forces have neglected to inform Japanese authorities about most of the leakage incidents.

Past related article:
> Kadena base receives additional US fighter jets in contrast to gov’t explanation on cuts in Okinawa’s base burdens [January 31, 2016]