US Military, Don’t Drain Polluted Water into the Ocean

The U.S. military at Marine Corps Air Station Futenma is investigating methods to dispose of an organic fluorine compound, PFAS,* a liquid substance known to be hazardous, into the surrounding area.

Naturally, Denny Tamaki, governor of the Okinawa prefecture, says he “absolutely does not approve.” Even if in small quantities, “contaminated water” will not be permitted to pour into the sea of the citizens’ prefecture.

The U.S. military should investigate disposal methods at its own risk. Any method that would bring harm to the health of citizens will never be deemed acceptable.

PFAS are seen as a problem because of possible negative effects on living organisms, such as cancer and low birth weight. Moreover, they are referred to as “forever chemicals” because they hardly decompose at all in nature. PFAS are also known to accumulate in the bodies of living things, including humans.

Last April, a fire extinguisher foam containing PFAS was leaked from Futenma. Among the PFAS, highly toxic PFOS* and PFOA* (substances that fall under the PFAS category) were detected in the rivers in the city of Ginowan. In June, contaminated water containing PFOS leaked from the U.S. military’s oil storage facility in the city of Uruma.

These are serious accidents that affect the health of citizens in the prefecture. However, it cannot be said that the U.S. military actively disclosed relevant details. The Okinawa Prefecture launched an investigation into these two accidents, but both were only allowed through negotiations with the United States.

The United States military has explained that after contaminated water containing PFAS is treated, it is released via “through the public wastewater system” and “is fully compliant with Japanese drinking water guidelines.”

However, research regarding PFAS is ongoing and every nation has different standards. In Japan, the provisional guideline values of PFOS and PFOA are 50 nanograms (1.76 ounces) per liter (33.8 ounces). In comparison, the guideline value set by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency is 70 nanograms per liter. The state of California has established still stricter standards of PFOS at 6.5 nanograms and PFOA at 5.1 nanograms.

In a situation in which accurate information cannot be obtained from the U.S. military, claims that disposal “is fully compliant with Japanese drinking water guidelines” cannot be clearly confirmed.

President Joe Biden added PFAS as a “toxic substance” to Superfund law** regulations, which require the person responsible for a contamination incident to bear the expense of cleanup. With regard to the tightening of regulations, it is only appropriate that the U.S. military, the source of the pollution, take the waste back to the U.S. and deal with it at their own risk.

An investigation by the German Environment Agency found that of the 1,109 children between the ages of 3 and 17 that were examined, PFOA was detected in 86% of them. The cause is the consumption of fish that accumulated PFOA drained into the sea through the sewage disposal system.

American fast-food giant McDonald’s has announced that they will phase out PFAS used in packaging by 2025.

Essentially, chemical substances that are cannot be ingested by humans should not flow into the sea to accumulate in people’s bodies through [ingesting] wildlife. The Japanese government should monitor the disposal methods rigorously so that new harm does not come from the military base.

*Editor’s note: PFAS is an abbreviation for perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, a group of synthetic, potentially harmful chemicals used in household products and industrial processes. Two kinds of PFAS are PFOA (perfluorooctanoic acid) and PFOS (perfluorooctanesulfonic acid).

**Editor’s note: The Superfund law refers to the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act of 1980.