PFAS contaminated water from Futenma to be disposed of outside the prefecture, people of the city and others keeping watch, express their concerns to the City and Prefecture. (18oc21)

The Defense Ministry plans to dispose of polluted water containing organic fluorine compounds (PFAS) stored at the US Military Futenma Air Base. On 15 October, the “Alliance for the Protection of Citizens’ Lives from PFAS contamination” and others issued a written request  demanding their concerns be expressed to the Prefecture and the city of Ginowan that that polluted water, just as it is, would be transported away from the prefecture before its concentration has been measured. The written request was addressed to Governor Denny Tamaki and Ginowan Mayor Masanori Matsukawa.


On 15 October, the issuance of the written request was announced during a meeting with the Naha prefectural press group. Professor Emeritus Kunitoshi Sakurai of Okinawa University, the co-representative of the Alliance,  criticized the Japanese side for bearing the cost of the disposal, “The environmental management of the base is the responsibility of the US Military.  For the Japanese side to take that responsibility sets a precedent.”


Youichi Iha, a member of the House of Councillors, who was present, showed materials from the national government on carrying out the plan. He made it clear that the disposal would be done at  disposal sites in three prefectures: Okayama, Chiba, and Fukuoka. 


Councillor Iha stressed, “This is a good opportunity for the Defense Ministry to examine, under the Japan-US Status of Forces Agreement, the escape of polluted water from US Military management.” 


Original Japanese article: Ryukyu Shimpo, published 18  October 2021 at 12:24

https://news.yahoo.co.jp/articles/6fcbdadda03d09e2846162ef29ddb5c109dbbc9b


Translator’s note:

Denny in the News: news about Okinawan Governor Denny Tamaki.

Denny Tamaki is the governor of Okinawa Prefecture in Japan. Although Okinawa is important as an international tourist destination and a key element in strategic US Military Forces, its governor receives very little coverage in the Japanese press and almost none in the English language media. 

  1. This blog hopes to  translate one news article a day on the governor.  It is unsponsored and unauthorized. The translator simply hopes to improve his skills and perhaps give the governor an English speaking audience. Any suggestion on improving the translation will be gratefully accepted. However, please leave political comments for another forum.

  2. Where they occur, words and phrases in Ryukyuan (the Okinawan language) are rendered in italics and translated in parentheses. Names  whose readings are uncertain are rendered as Name (=Kanji?) as in Nagayuki (=長行?). Any corrections in such instances would be gratefully appreciated.

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