Citizens’ Network for Biodiversity in Okinawa
(Okinawa BD), Okinawa Environmental NGO, submitted a letter to Kadena Air Base
(KAB), pointing out the problems of KAB’s letter to its community about the
investigation of the Okinawa City Soccer Field, where 83 barrels were
unearthed.
Kadena
community came to know the contaminated barrels were found at Okinawa City
soccer field adjacent to two schools at KAB by Heather A. Bowser’s “ Demand answers about dioxin threat at Okinawa schools”
published on the Japan Times (Dec.24, 2013).
Heather is a second generation Agent Orange survivor and a co-founder of
the Children of Vietnam Veterans Health Alliance (COVVHA). Since 2012, we have
been working together to raise awareness of Agent Orange issues. At her second
visit to Okinawa in 2013, she found that the barrels were buried on the other
side of the school’s playground and
was concerned with the possibility of children’s exposure to dioxins.
On
request of KAB’s community, KAB
has been providing updates on its website and its Facebook group how the
investigation has been conducted over the fence.
Following
the release of the investigation results by Okinawa Defence Bureau (ODB) and
Okinawa City on July 7, KAB provided on their website the English translation
of the summary of the investigation conducted by ODB and Okinawa City.
On
August 7, additionally KAB uploaded its letter to its community informing of
the investigation and announcing that “there
are no health risks to the local population.”
As
Okinawa BD has been working on oversight and evaluation of the investigation,
we reviewed KAB’s letter either to
check if KAB informed with accurate information to its Community. Examining its
letter, we are concerned that KAB’s
letter fails to provide its community with an accurate and sufficient summary
and discussion regarding the results and analysis/evaluations of their
investigations.
For
example, regarding the dioxins and compound of Agent Orange, KAB explains,
playing down of the toxicity of dioxin,
“An
agriculture herbicide (2,4,5-T ) was detected.
It was widely used internationally until restrictions started in the
early 1970s and was banned in Japan in 1975.
A byproduct of its manufacturing 2,3,7,8-TCDD, was also detected. In addition, the herbicide 2,4-D was detected
for the first time but only in stagnant water on the site. This component is
found in many commercial weed killers today.
For example, 2,4-D is easily available in Okinawa at Make-man, San-sea
and Sakumoto stores and nationwide home improvement stores in the United States.”
As
an activist who is aware of how much dioxin damages human health, Heather does
not hesitate to show her anger to the announcement. She says,
“To suggest the chemicals found on the
excavation site at the Okinawa City soccer field are no more dangerous than weed
killer found in the local hardware store is blatant irresponsibility. The fear
of the Department of Defence to face its toxic chemical history is further
shown as the premature announcement; “There
is no health risk to the population...”
has
been made. Ignoring reports that seem to say otherwise is suspect to those
concerned.
Referring to the toxicity of 2,3,7,8 –TCDD, she continued,
“No amount of TCDD is safe. Dioxin exposure continues to kill Vietnam Veterans prematurely. The Veterans were exposed to the same toxic chemicals found on the soccer field. Given the opportunity to handle things differently, forty years later, it seems denial and stonewalling continues without thought of the fate of those exposed.”
We
sought for experts’ comments to its
letter and wrote a letter to KAB, highlighting the following four points of our
concerns:
1)
KAB’s letter fails to
adequately incorporate the results of Okinawa City’s investigation which has provided
significant information for KAB’s community
2) KAB’s
letter ignores information in the report which contradicts your conclusion that
there are “no health risks to
the local population.”
3) KAB’s letter does not discuss the possibility of contamination at Bob
Hope Primary School and Amelia Earhart Intermediate School depending on the
treatment of contamination of the soccer field.
4) KAB’s
letter includes parts which have been inadequately translated leading to
possible confusion among readers.
For
details, please read our letter embedded below.
Masami
Kawamura
Director,
Citizens’ Network for Biodiversity in Okinawa
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