Read the full article by Brian McElhiney and Keishi Koja (Stars and Stripes)
“The U.S. military did not confirm or deny a report that American officials identified two U.S. airfields on Okinawa as likely sources of PFAS contamination, while Japanese officials declined to discuss details of the reported exchange.
The Okinawa Times, citing unnamed government sources, reported Tuesday that the U.S. military told the Japanese government in December 2023 that firefighting foam containing PFAS used at Kadena Air Base and Marine Corps Air Station Futenma was likely responsible for contamination detected nearby.
The Japanese government did not disclose that assessment to the public, according to the newspaper, which has a history of reporting and editorials that strongly oppose the heavy concentration of U.S. bases on the island.
PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — are a group of long-lasting chemicals linked to health and environmental concerns.
U.S. Forces Japan spokesman Air Force Col. John Severns did not address the report directly when asked about it on Thursday but called PFAS ‘a shared concern’ associated with military and civilian industrial activity across Japan ‘regardless of nationality.'”…