Okinawa retracts approval of landfill work for US base transfer
Relocation plan was opposed by prefectures' former governor as well as residents angry over crimes and accidents involving US military personnel
Withdrawal of the 2013 approval given by Onaga’s predecessor affects the US-Japan plan to transfer US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma within Okinawa Prefecture, rather than elsewhere as demanded by many Okinawa residents angry about crimes and accidents involving US military personnel.
The retraction calls into question the legality of the landfill work. As Tokyo is highly likely to take the matter to court in an attempt to confirm the validity of the prefecture’s earlier approval, the stage is set for another legal battle to start between the central government and Okinawa possibly even ahead of the gubernatorial election on September 30.
Before his death from pancreatic cancer on August 8, Onaga instructed local officials to take the necessary procedures to retract the approval. The central government had postponed landfill work that was expected to begin on August 17 without providing a detailed explanation for the decision.
“Taking governor Onaga’s passion, we judged properly based on the law,” deputy governor Kiichiro Jahana, who was entrusted by Onaga to retract the approval, told a press conference. “We’ll continue to do our utmost to prevent the construction of a new base.”
He dismissed a claim from the local bureau of the defence ministry that the landfill work is legitimate as groundless because the bureau had failed to make certain corrections at the prefecture’s repeated request, and soft ground had been found underlying the relocation site.
The prefecture also maintains the bureau’s measures to protect the environment have been insufficient, a source close to the matter said.