Fresh Landfill Work Begins in Henoko for U.S. Base Transfer

Nago, Okinawa Pref., June 17 (Jiji Press)–Japan’s Defense Ministry notified Okinawa Prefecture on Wednesday that it has started pouring earth and sand in a new area east of Cape Henoko in the southernmost prefecture for the planned relocation of a U.S. military base. The area neighbors the section where earth-filling work started last November as the first round of full-scale reclamation work on the eastern side off the cape in the city of Nago. The new move is expected to draw ire from the Okinawa prefectural government, which opposes the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps’ Futenma air station to the Henoko coastal area from Ginowan, another city in Okinawa. Reclamation work has almost been completed on the southern side of Cape Henoko. Meanwhile, landfill work in Oura Bay on the eastern side has been delayed due to soft undersea ground. The ministry is promoting soil improvement by driving about 71,000 sand piles into the seabed while starting work to construct embankments and pour soil in areas where such piles are not necessary. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]