Residents living near U.S. military bases in Japan are facing the potential health hazards posed by PFAS, a group of man-made chemicals known for lingering in the environment and in the human body.

However, the bilateral Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA) has hampered efforts to conduct investigations into the sources of pollution suspected to be within the U.S. bases, while local governments are left grappling with the burden of investigation and costs for countermeasures.

The lack of reasonable and responsible actions to tackle the problem must not be allowed to continue.

The U.S. military and the Japanese government need to genuinely and earnestly acknowledge residents’ concerns and urgently take steps to clarify the facts and purify the environment.

PFAS, or per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances deemed to be potential carcinogens, have been detected around U.S. military bases across Japan. These substances are widely used in a range of products, including firefighting foams, and are also detected around factories.

However, the problem is that Japan can hardly investigate possible sources of contamination within U.S. bases because of the barriers of the Japan-U.S. SOFA, a treaty that defines the legal status of U.S. military personnel stationed in Japan.

In Okinawa Prefecture, which hosts a large portion of the U.S. military bases in Japan, six applications for on-site investigations within U.S. bases have been made since 2016, but only two were granted, such as when a large amount of firefighting foam leaked from Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in the city of Ginowan.

Due to the SOFA, the U.S. military possess the right to manage its bases in Japan.

In response to requests from the local governments of Okinawa and other prefectures, the Japanese and U.S. governments in 2015 agreed to supplement the bilateral agreement on “Cooperation in the Field of Environmental Stewardship.”

This supplement relates to the U.S. bases under the SOFA, establishing procedures for granting specified Japan authorities appropriate access to U.S. military facilities.

Such access is, however, granted only in the cases of “following a contemporaneous environmental incident,” such as a spill, and for “site surveys … associated with the return to Japan of the facilities and areas.”

In those cases, access is granted if the U.S. side gives the green light.

If this arrangement does not function effectively, a revision to the agreement to strengthen Japan’s authority is required.

Meanwhile, over the past eight years, Okinawa Prefecture has spent 3.2 billion yen ($21.4 million) on water quality analysis and removal of causative substances, of which 1 billion yen was subsidized by the Okinawa Defense Bureau.

However, the prefecture estimates that more than 8 billion yen will be needed over the next 10 years.

If any pollution originating from U.S. military bases occurs, the Okinawa prefectural government argues, the national government that provides facilities and areas to the U.S. military should bear the cost of dealing with the contamination.

The local government’s argument is convincing and well-reasoned.

In the United States, regulations have been tightened and a significant budget has been allocated for measures to cope with related issues. In Hawaii, following citizen protests, the government decided to close a U.S. Navy fuel storage facility.

The U.S. government and military should be accused of an inexcusable “double standard” if, while making swift responses to the health hazards and public opinion of its own citizens, it leaves the concerns of residents in Japan unaddressed.

The U.S. military has reportedly been conducting pollution investigations and purification operations at its own expense at its bases in Germany. It is reported that water quality tests are also being carried out at bases in Belgium and South Korea.

The inadequacy of efforts in Japan is striking.

PFAS contamination has been reported not only in Okinawa but also at U.S. military bases nationwide, including Yokota Air Base in Tokyo, the Yokosuka naval base and Naval Air Facility Atsugi in Kanagawa Prefecture, and Misawa Air Base in Aomori Prefecture.

Protecting the health of the nation’s citizens is the government’s responsibility.

The central government should strongly urge the U.S. military to make all-out efforts to cooperate in investigations and ensure measures to prevent recurrences.

It must not be forgotten that stable operation of the U.S. bases cannot be achieved without the understanding and support of the local residents.

--The Asahi Shimbun, Feb. 9