Japan inspects US military base after chemical leak

Today (December 20), Japanese authorities conducted an inspection of a US military base in Tokyo after receiving information that a chemical leak had occurred there, according to AFP quoting a local government spokesman.

US military transport aircraft at Yokota Air Base

The inspection of Yokota Air Base was conducted by Japan following the announcement from the US two months ago about a chemical leak, specifically PFOS, a group of man-made chemicals listed by the World Health Organization (WHO) as "possibly carcinogenic to humans".

PFOS is part of a larger group of chemicals called PFAS, sometimes called "forever chemicals" because they don't break down easily.

Japanese Deputy Chief Cabinet Secretary Fumitoshi Sato said today, December 20, that the US military informed the Tokyo government in October about a water leak containing PFOS in an area of Yokota Air Base after a fire prevention and fighting exercise.

"The inspection was carried out to address concerns raised by local residents, and we will continue to work with the US side on this issue," AFP quoted Mr. Sato as saying.

The inspection team included officials from the Japanese Ministry of Defense and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government. Yokota Air Base has not yet 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 particularly evident in Okinawa, home to US military bases.

Last week, the US began moving thousands of Marines from their base in Okinawa to Guam in the Pacific, with the first wave of about 100 troops due in 2025.

Source: https://thanhnien.vn/nhat-ban-kiem-tra-can-cu-quan-su-my-sau-tin-ro-ri-hoa-chat-185241220112534287.htm