US military transport aircraft at Yokota Air Base
The inspection of Yokota Air Base was conducted by the Japanese side following an announcement from the US side two months ago about a chemical leak, specifically PFOS, a group of man-made chemicals banned by the World Health Organization. WHO) put it on the list of “risk of causing cancer in humans”.
PFOS is part of a larger group of chemicals called PFAS, sometimes called “forever chemicals” because they do not break down easily.
Japanese Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Fumitoshi Sato said today, December 20, that the US military in October informed the Tokyo government about a water leak containing PFOS in an area of Yokota Air Base after a defense drill. fire fighting.
“The inspection was carried out to address local people’s concerns, and we will continue to work with the US side on this issue,” AFP quoted Mr. Sato as saying.
The inspection team includes officials from the Japanese Ministry of Defense and the Tokyo metropolitan government. Yokota Air Base has not responded to the above information.
In the past, Japanese public opinion has complained about the US military presence in the country, from noise issues to pollution and helicopter crashes.
This complaint is especially evident in Okinawa, where US military bases are located.
Last week, the United States began moving thousands of marines from bases in Okinawa to Guam in the Pacific Ocean. The first batch includes about 100 soldiers in 2025.
