Yokota Air Base in the suburbs of western Tokyo is home to U.S. Forces Japan, 5th Air Force and the 374th Airlift Wing. (Kelly Agee/Stars and Stripes)
YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — Japan’s government has denied a claim it withheld information about a contaminated water spill last year at this airlift hub in western Tokyo.
The spill of around 167 gallons occurred at the receiving dock at the Yokota Community Center, which houses the base commissary and exchange, on Jan. 25, 2023, the Tokyo Shimbun reported July 10, citing unnamed officials.
The U.S. military provided information about the accident to the Japanese government in March at a meeting of the two nations’ Environment Subcommittee. In June, the members agreed to withhold the accident details from local government officials, the newspaper reported.
However, no such agreement to withhold information was made, the North Kanto Defense Bureau, an arm of Japan’s Defense Ministry, told Stars and Stripes on Tuesday.
“As the report on this case was very detailed, we have been told by the U.S. side that they are continuing to investigate and confirm the facts and circumstances and there has not been any agreement between the Japanese and U.S. governments to keep the information from being disclosed,” the bureau spokesman said by phone.
Some Japanese government officials may speak to the press only on condition of anonymity.
The Defense Ministry takes residents’ anxiety and concerns about contaminated water seriously, the spokesman said. It will continue to work with relevant ministries and agencies and U.S. officials to provide an explanation to local governments as soon as possible.
The U.S. military reported seven leaks at Yokota between 2010 and 2022 to the ministry, which explained them to local governments, according to Tokyo Shimbun’s report.
The water that spilled near the community center, which flowed onto concrete, contained high levels of PFAS, short for poly- and perfluoroalkyl substances, the newspaper reported.
PFAS, a class of chemicals used in nonstick coatings on cookware and in firefighting foam, among other uses, is linked to an increased risk of certain tumors of the liver, testicles, breasts and pancreas, according to the American Cancer Society.
U.S. Forces Japan, headquartered at Yokota, told Japan’s Defense Ministry that “there was no leakage outside the base” because workers blocked a discharge outlet and mopped up the contaminated water, Tokyo Shimbun reported.
Last month, USFJ denied claims in the newspaper of possible water contamination at Yokota as “inaccurate” and “regrettable.”
USFJ did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment Wednesday morning.
