Okinawa governor requests central government to correct environmental impact assessment documents concerning new U.S. base construction

   Okinawa Prefectural Governor Nakaima Hirokazu on January 21 submitted his statement to the Defense Ministry requesting that the government correct and resubmit to the prefecture part of the ministry documents specifying the environmental impact assessment method to be applied for the planned reclamation of publicly-owned surface water in order to construct a U.S. air station in  the coastal area of U.S. Marine Corps Camp Schwab in Nago City.

   The governor’s decision shows that the central government had submitted flawed documents that failed to meet conditions set by the Environmental Impact Assessment Law.

   In a separate statement sent out in December last year, Nakaima criticized the other part of the documents regarding the construction of the new air base, but did not request a correction.

   What is behind the marked change in the governor’s stance is Okinawans’ overwhelming opposition to the construction of the new base.

   The central government is sticking to its plan to start the environmental impact assessment study in February in order to complete the base construction by 2014. The Defense Ministry reportedly plans to resubmit the documents in January.
- Akahata, January 22, 2008