Dr Tokuda (left) and Dr Barnett (right)
Constructing New US Military Base as a Health Threat to Okinawan People
Yasuharu
Tokuda, MD, MPH; Peter B. Barnett, MD, MPH
Abstract
Okinawa, a
group of small islands between Japan and Taiwan, has been the site of wars
conducted by foreign armies for hundreds of years. Since World War II Okinawa
has been the focus of the American military presence in Japan. The people of
Okinawa experience a number of adverse health and environmental effects from
the US military bases. These health and environmental effects include aircraft
noise, asbestos exposure, and pollution of sea, land and air along with
disrupted biodiversity. Other adverse health consequences have been identified
as severe hearing loss, sleep disturbance, poor quality of life, and increased
cancer risk in local Okinawan people, and impaired learning among Okinawan
school children. Recently the central government of Japan approved construction
work on a new US military base despite strong opposition by local Okinawan
people. Healthcare professionals are in a position to better assess and
understand the seriousness of the adverse health and
environmental effects of the proposed and existing military bases. However, no
medical professional societies in Japan or the US have provided comments about
this issue. Healthcare professionals have a responsibility to educate citizens
and politicians concerning the adverse health and environmental effects of
military bases, and to advocate for a more peaceful world.
Text
In 2015, in
order to strengthen the US and Japan defense alliance, and as a replacement of
the Futenma airbase located on the main Okinawa island, “the most dangerous
base in the world”(1), the Japanese central
government approved construction work on a new US airbase in the Henoko bay
area of Okinawa island. No other Japanese prefectures have accepted new US
military base since they have concerns about the increased risk of adverse
health effects of a military base, as well as the increased crime rate in
communities where bases are located. Nonetheless, the US government wants to
expand its bases in Okinawa and the central Japanese government is willing to
supply more land in Okinawa. Local Okinawan people strongly oppose the
construction of a new US base and the governor of Okinawa has declared that the
central government's decision "tramples on the will of the Okinawan
people."(2) There are two major
reasons by Okinawan people for opposing the new US military base: further
adverse environmental and health effects on Okinawa and Okinawan people and the
longstanding antiwar philosophy in Okinawa.
The people
of Okinawa have already experienced a number of adverse health and
environmental effects from existing military bases. Aircraft noise has long
been a huge public health problem in Okinawa. Local residents living near
military bases have developed severe hearing loss, sleep disturbance, impaired
learning among school children, and poor quality of life.(3) Use of asbestos in the
US military buildings has led to numerous cases of lung cancer and malignant
mesothelioma among local workers.(4)
Military
bases have caused serious air pollution, including carbon monoxide, nitrogen
oxides, hydrocarbons, and sulfur dioxide. Further, the island’s sea, land and
air have been contaminated by the high concentrations of polychlorinated
biphenyls (PCBs), including Agent Orange dioxin (retrograde shipments from
postwar Vietnam) and dichlorodiphenyl trichloroethane (DDT), arsenic, depleted
uranium, and nerve gas that have been leaked from US military storage.(5-7) It is expected that
there will be ongoing environmental damage and adverse health effects produced
by a new military base, as well as the other already existing military bases.
Other dangers include aircraft accidents and damage to the fragile agricultural
and fishing environments upon which the Okinawan people depend.
Fortunately,
several American communities have taken the initiative of supporting the
Okinawan position. On December 21, 2015, the city council of Cambridge,
Massachusetts, passed a resolution opposing the construction of the new base in
Henoko, following the resolution by the Berkeley, California city council in
September, 2015 which opposed the new base and pledged solidarity with Okinawa.(8) The city council of
Honolulu, Hawaii also proposed a resolution opposing the base construction in
January 2016. These thoughtful councils of the US communities believe that it
is their responsibility to support Okinawan people because the construction is
mandated by Japanese government in defiance of local opinion, and the
construction is likely to cause further ill-effects to local people.
Another
reason for opposing the new Henoko base is the prevalent antiwar philosophy
among the Okinawan people. Many years ago Okinawa was an independent chain of
islands, and has been the object of centuries of foreign military occupation,
by China, Japan, and the US. Okinawa was the site of harsh battles between US
and Japan near the end of World War II (WWII) which killed almost 100,000
Okinawan civilians. Since WWII, the central government of Japan continues to
force Okinawa to host 75% (more than 30 bases) of all U.S. military
installations in Japan, occupying 20% of the main island of Okinawa.
Healthcare
professionals are in the position to accurately assess and communicate the
seriousness of the adverse health and environmental effects of constructing yet
another military base in Okinawa. However, no medical societies in Japan or the
US have so far provided comment about this issue. Healthcare professionals of
Japan and US have the social and medical responsibility to educate the citizens
and politicians of both governments to protect the Okinawan people from the ill
effects of military bases, and to advocate for promoting a more peaceful and
just world.
This article has been published in the Journal Environmental Justice at:
References
1. The Guam daily post: The two most
dangerous bases in the world. 2015/11/4 [accessed on 2016/1/6].
2. NBC News World: Okinawa Relocation of
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Available from:
http://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/okinawa-relocation-u-s-military-base-triggers-protests-n453486
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Available from:
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6. Mitchell J. FOIA Documents Reveal
Agent Orange Dioxin, Toxic Dumps, Fish Kills on Okinawa Base. Two Veterans Win
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