US Military Accountability for PFAS Contamination on Bases in Okinawa
Publisher: American Bar Association
Author(s): Craig T. Donovan
Date: 2022
Topics: Governance, Public Health, Renewable Resources, Weapons, Waste, and Pollution
Countries: Japan, United States
On August 26, 2021, the U.S. Marine Corps (Marines) Air Station Futenma (MCAS Futenma), located in Ginowan City on Japan’s Okinawa main island, released approximately 64,000 liters of wastewater with a potentially dangerous chemical into the municipal sewer system. The wastewater contained spilled fire-fighting foam stored on the base. The foam contained perfluorooctane sulfonic acid (PFOS), a compound that belongs to a chemical family known as per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS). The decision to release the wastewater was virtually unexpected by Okinawa prefectural and Japanese central government authorities. The U.S. Marines had informed authorities only 25 minutes before the release occurred, assuring that the PFOS was treated and at a safe level. Initially, the United States and Japan had planned to discuss test results of treated wastewater sampled from the base and the wastewater's safe disposal later that same day.