On Okinawa, since the end of World War Two, hundreds of thousands of US service members and their families have worked and lived on bases contaminated with hazardous substances including dioxin, asbestos, lead, PFAS and PCBs.
In the United States, the Department of Defense and Environmental Protection Agency make information related to military exposures publicly available - but there is no such transparency for DoD facilities on Okinawa and mainland Japan.
To help those experiencing illnesses which may be related to time spent on Okinawa, the following reports are now available for download. Further information and a timeline of major incidents (1947 - 2019) can be found in the forthcoming book, Poisoning the Pacific (Rowman & Littlefield), which also reveals the extent of contamination on Guam, the Marshall Islands and throughout the western Pacific region.
Active - or retired - US service members with materials documenting other sources of contamination on Okinawa are encouraged to contact the author - in confidence - at PoisoningThePacific [at] gmail.com
Jon Mitchell
September 2020
In the United States, the Department of Defense and Environmental Protection Agency make information related to military exposures publicly available - but there is no such transparency for DoD facilities on Okinawa and mainland Japan.
To help those experiencing illnesses which may be related to time spent on Okinawa, the following reports are now available for download. Further information and a timeline of major incidents (1947 - 2019) can be found in the forthcoming book, Poisoning the Pacific (Rowman & Littlefield), which also reveals the extent of contamination on Guam, the Marshall Islands and throughout the western Pacific region.
Active - or retired - US service members with materials documenting other sources of contamination on Okinawa are encouraged to contact the author - in confidence - at PoisoningThePacific [at] gmail.com
Jon Mitchell
September 2020
"Arsenic Poisoning of Beef Cattle," United States Civil Administration of the Ryukyu Islands, January 3, 1962.
Description: Report into deaths of cows following usage of herbicides in northern Okinawa.
“Technical Report 60: Rice Blast Epiphytology,” United States Army Biological Laboratories Fort Detrick, June 1965.
Description: Report on biological weapon tests at sites on Okinawa including Shuri, Ishikawa and Nago.
“Organizational History – 267th Chemical Company,” United States Army, March 26, 1966.
Description: Summary of Project 112 site, personnel training and shipment of chemical weapons to Okinawa.
"Overseas Storage of Chemical Agents / Munitions," Chief of Staff, United States Army, July 22, 1969.
Description: Memorandum about Project 112 (Red Hat), storage of chemical weapons and leak at Chibana Army Ammunition Depot.
"Environmental Pollution Incident," United States Air Force, December 1, 1987.
Description: Investigation into discovery of PCB contamination at Kadena Air Base.
“Consultative Letter, AL-CL-1992-0110, Evaluation of Water Sampling Site 4, Kadena AB, JA,” United States Air Force, August 14, 1992.
Description: Investigation into environmental impact of firefighting foam and corrosion control effluence at Kadena Air Base.
“Consultative Letter, AL-CL-1992-0118, Evaluation of Industrial Water Treatment Plant, Bldg 3448, Kadena AB, JA,” United States Air Force, September 9, 1992.
Description: Evaluation of how corrosion control effluent is treated at Kadena Air Base.
“USFJ Talking Paper on Possible Toxic Contamination at Camp Kinser, Okinawa,” United States Forces in Japan, July 30, 1993.
Description: Multi-service investigation into contamination within Camp Kinser (a.k.a. Machinato / Makiminato Service Area), including discussion of deaths of marine life, burials of hazardous waste and economic obstacles for remediation.
“Consultative Letter (CL), AL/OE-CL-1994-0183, Sampling Recommendations to Determine the Extent of Lead Contamination in Soil Surrounding the Munitions Deactivation Furnace, Bldg 46808, Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan,” United States Air Force, January 16, 1995.
Description: Assessment into lead contamination near munitions deactivation furnace at Kadena Ammunition Depot.
“Consultative Letter (CL), AL/OE-1997-0006 Sand Blasting Media as a Hazardous Waste Stream,” United States Air Force, February 20, 1997.
Description: Consultative letter into disposal of heavy metal contaminated sand blasting media at Kadena Air Base.
"Site Investigation Report: Alleged PCB Site, Kadena AB, Japan," Montgomery Watson for Department of Defense, February 1999.
Description: Investigation into contamination from outdoor storage of PCB-containing waste oils on Kadena Air Base.
“Consultative Letter, IERA-DO-BR-CL-2000-0008, Asbestos Survey of Building 703, Kadena AB, Japan,” United States Air Force, March 17, 2000.
Description: Asbestos survey of Kadena Air Base’s Building 703, a former medical center which had been used for readiness training.
“Japan: Okinawa TV Serial Report Views Alleged Use of Agent Orange on US Bases,” Central Intelligence Agency, January 12, 2012.
Description: Transcript from CIA’s Open Source Center of TV report about the usage of Agent Orange on Okinawa.
"Military Housing Inspections - Japan," Department of Defense Inspector General, September 30, 2014.
Description: Surveys of military housing for compliance with mold, water quality, lead-based paint, asbestos, pest infestation, radon, and radiation standards.
"Department of Defense Dependent Schools Lead Assessment Project, Kadena Air Base," United States Air Force, August 27, 2015.
Description: Survey of lead contamination in water supply for eight Department of Defense schools / facilities at Kadena Air Base.
“Certificate of Test Results, No.2015-02203-B01~04,” Okinawa Prefecture Environment Science Center for United States Marine Corps, February 18, 2016.
Description: Survey for PFOA/PFOS contamination at fire training area at MCAS Futenma.
“Japan/DET 3 KADENA AFB, JAPAN / EC18-040,” Maxxam Analytics for United States Air Force, November 10, 2017
Description: Survey for PFOA/PFOS contamination at fire training area retention basin, Kadena Air Base.
Description: Report into deaths of cows following usage of herbicides in northern Okinawa.
“Technical Report 60: Rice Blast Epiphytology,” United States Army Biological Laboratories Fort Detrick, June 1965.
Description: Report on biological weapon tests at sites on Okinawa including Shuri, Ishikawa and Nago.
“Organizational History – 267th Chemical Company,” United States Army, March 26, 1966.
Description: Summary of Project 112 site, personnel training and shipment of chemical weapons to Okinawa.
"Overseas Storage of Chemical Agents / Munitions," Chief of Staff, United States Army, July 22, 1969.
Description: Memorandum about Project 112 (Red Hat), storage of chemical weapons and leak at Chibana Army Ammunition Depot.
"Environmental Pollution Incident," United States Air Force, December 1, 1987.
Description: Investigation into discovery of PCB contamination at Kadena Air Base.
“Consultative Letter, AL-CL-1992-0110, Evaluation of Water Sampling Site 4, Kadena AB, JA,” United States Air Force, August 14, 1992.
Description: Investigation into environmental impact of firefighting foam and corrosion control effluence at Kadena Air Base.
“Consultative Letter, AL-CL-1992-0118, Evaluation of Industrial Water Treatment Plant, Bldg 3448, Kadena AB, JA,” United States Air Force, September 9, 1992.
Description: Evaluation of how corrosion control effluent is treated at Kadena Air Base.
“USFJ Talking Paper on Possible Toxic Contamination at Camp Kinser, Okinawa,” United States Forces in Japan, July 30, 1993.
Description: Multi-service investigation into contamination within Camp Kinser (a.k.a. Machinato / Makiminato Service Area), including discussion of deaths of marine life, burials of hazardous waste and economic obstacles for remediation.
“Consultative Letter (CL), AL/OE-CL-1994-0183, Sampling Recommendations to Determine the Extent of Lead Contamination in Soil Surrounding the Munitions Deactivation Furnace, Bldg 46808, Kadena AB, Okinawa, Japan,” United States Air Force, January 16, 1995.
Description: Assessment into lead contamination near munitions deactivation furnace at Kadena Ammunition Depot.
“Consultative Letter (CL), AL/OE-1997-0006 Sand Blasting Media as a Hazardous Waste Stream,” United States Air Force, February 20, 1997.
Description: Consultative letter into disposal of heavy metal contaminated sand blasting media at Kadena Air Base.
"Site Investigation Report: Alleged PCB Site, Kadena AB, Japan," Montgomery Watson for Department of Defense, February 1999.
Description: Investigation into contamination from outdoor storage of PCB-containing waste oils on Kadena Air Base.
“Consultative Letter, IERA-DO-BR-CL-2000-0008, Asbestos Survey of Building 703, Kadena AB, Japan,” United States Air Force, March 17, 2000.
Description: Asbestos survey of Kadena Air Base’s Building 703, a former medical center which had been used for readiness training.
“Japan: Okinawa TV Serial Report Views Alleged Use of Agent Orange on US Bases,” Central Intelligence Agency, January 12, 2012.
Description: Transcript from CIA’s Open Source Center of TV report about the usage of Agent Orange on Okinawa.
"Military Housing Inspections - Japan," Department of Defense Inspector General, September 30, 2014.
Description: Surveys of military housing for compliance with mold, water quality, lead-based paint, asbestos, pest infestation, radon, and radiation standards.
"Department of Defense Dependent Schools Lead Assessment Project, Kadena Air Base," United States Air Force, August 27, 2015.
Description: Survey of lead contamination in water supply for eight Department of Defense schools / facilities at Kadena Air Base.
“Certificate of Test Results, No.2015-02203-B01~04,” Okinawa Prefecture Environment Science Center for United States Marine Corps, February 18, 2016.
Description: Survey for PFOA/PFOS contamination at fire training area at MCAS Futenma.
“Japan/DET 3 KADENA AFB, JAPAN / EC18-040,” Maxxam Analytics for United States Air Force, November 10, 2017
Description: Survey for PFOA/PFOS contamination at fire training area retention basin, Kadena Air Base.
Testimonies from service members who believe they were exposed to military herbicides, such as Agent Orange, while serving on Okinawa are available here and an overview of the issue - including a list of winning VA claims - is available here.
