Okinawa Prefecture revokes land reclamation approval for Futenma replacement facility, will return to court with central government

Okinawa Prefecture revokes land reclamation approval for Futenma replacement facility, will return to court with central government

On the morning August 17, the planned reclamation area off the coast of U.S. military Camp Schwab in Henoko, Nago, where soil has yet to be deposited (Photograph taken by a small unmanned aerial vehicle)


August 31, 2018 Ryukyu Shimpo

 

Regarding the relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps Futenma Air Station in Ginowan City to Henoko, Nago City, on the afternoon of August 31 the Okinawa prefectural government revoked the land reclamation approval given by Governor Takeshi Onaga’s predecessor, Hirokazu Nakaima.

The central government is proceeding with construction of a new base in Henoko for the Futenma replacement facility following the 2013 land reclamation approval by former governor Nakaima.

 

Revocation would remove legal basis for land reclamation, and construction would stop.

Although the government initially planned to start depositing soil into the Henoko sea area on August 17, this will soon be impossible.

The government is considering legal countermeasures such as asking the court to suspend the execution to stop the effect of the revocation.

 

The prefectural government played a decisive card by revoking the land reclamation approval.

At 3:23 p.m. on August 31 Okinawa prefectural government officials enter the Okinawa Defense Bureau office in Kadena Town to deliver a notice about revoking land reclamation approval.

This conflict between the prefectural government and the central government over the new base in Henoko will enter a critical phase as it enters the courts once again.

 

On August 31 the Okinawa prefectural government’s Michio Tokashiki, deputy director general in charge of military base affairs, and Yoshinari Matsushima, deputy director general in charge of civil engineering development, visited the Okinawa Defense Bureau to deliver a notice about revoking land reclamation approval.

 

Later, the prefectural government’s deputy governors Moritake Tomikawa and Kiichiro Jahana held a press conference to explain the grounds for the decision in detail.

 

If the central government takes legal actions and the court permits a suspension of execution of this revocation, the construction will likely be resumed sometime within a few weeks or a few months.

The central government has been delaying soil deposits past the planned initial date of August 17.

 

The prefectural government carried out revocation prior to the gubernatorial election and before soil depositing by the central government.

This timing is drawing attention to how the central government will respond, what will happen in court, and how it will affect the gubernatorial election.

 

Governor Takeshi Onaga announced that he had ordered the relevant department directors to pursue revocation procedures at a press conference held on July 27, shortly before his death on August 8.

 

At the press conference, Governor Onaga stated that he was not willing to accept the government’s attitude to forcibly push through construction of a new base in Henoko, which was decided upon more than 20 years ago.

 

The prefectural government has been proceeding with revocation procedures, carrying through Governor Onaga’s strong will after his death.

 

(English translation by T&CT)

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