Beyond the Invisible Boundary: U.S. Military Bases, Okinawa, and the Environment Today - December 2008

Beyond the Invisible Boundary: U.S. Military Bases, Okinawa, and the Environment Today - December 2008

Okinawa Prefecture has completely revised its Living Environment Preservation Ordinance (formerly Pollution Prevention Ordinance) to include U.S. military bases in Japan, which were previously excluded from the scope of the ordinance. As a result, the prefecture now has legal grounds to take measures such as on-site inspections, investigations into the causes of environmental problems caused by U.S. military bases, such as noise, pollution, and hazardous substance spills, and requests for information disclosure.

This revision of the ordinance is a step toward overcoming the current situation in which the authority of the Japanese side has been greatly restricted by the Status of Forces Agreement between Japan and the United States, and is attracting attention as an independent effort on the part of local governments. For many years, residents living near the base have complained of water pollution, noise damage, and health effects, but no effective measures have been taken.

The revision of the law includes a clarification of the survey of pollution on returned land, prevention of environmental pollution caused by the base, and introduction of noise abatement measures through the conclusion of an agreement, thereby greatly expanding the prefectural government's responsibility and scope of action. The prefectural assembly also adopted a supplementary resolution calling on the Japanese and U.S. governments to resolve base-related environmental problems in a responsible manner.

In the prefecture, there are growing concerns about contamination of water sources by perfluorinated organic compounds (PFAS) and soil damage by heavy metals, and the revised ordinance is a clear response to residents' concerns about these conditions. It goes without saying that, especially in the utilization of the land slated for reversion, ensuring safety is key to the revitalization of the area.

This move may serve as a model for other municipalities with bases, and is expected to accelerate discussions on the development of a nationwide system and the guarantee of environmental rights. On the other hand, to be effective, the actual operation of the prefectural monitoring system and consultations with the national government will have to be tested in the future.

In Okinawa, a "frontier without borders," the ordinance to protect the lives and livelihoods of residents has quietly begun to come to life. This step is a response to the long-held wish of the people living side by side with the base.

Related information (source)
Akahata, the official newspaper of the Japanese Communist Party (December 20, 2008)
Okinawa Prefecture's official document: Revision of the Living Environment Preservation Ordinance
Japan Federation of Bar Associations: Proposal on the Status of Forces Agreement and Environmental Rights