FOIA REQUEST: U.S. BASE RELEASED 21,000 LITERS OF CHEMICAL AGENTS INTO OKINAWA DRINKING WATER SUPPLY

It seems Okinawan residents had good reason to sue the Japanese government and spend over 500 days protesting the relocation of a U.S. base on their land. They had long suspected that U.S. bases were polluting their waterways, and documents released by Freedom of Information Act request appear to prove them right. A recent drinking water contamination in Okinawa may have been caused by a series of accidents at Kadena Air Base,  which led to the release of a  minimum 21,000 liters of fire extinguishing agents over the period of 15 years. Some of these agents are toxic.

One incident details how a drunken marine apparently filled a hanger with 1,500 liters of JET-X 2.75 percent. It is classified as “hazardous” by the U.S. government, and contains chemicals that cause cancer, neurological and reproductive disorders.

What is of particular concern is that the chemicals were allowed to flow into nearby waterways and the ocean, while U.S. military officials chose not to report the incident to Japanese authorities, or even the affected residents.

17,000 liters of fire extinguishing agent was also released over three days in 2001. This was apparently caused by mechanical and electronic malfunctions. Malfunctioning equipment was also blamed for 3,400 liters of liquid released between 2012 and 2014.

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