New Environmental Agreement

Government of Japan and United States mostly reached a new agreement on environmental regulation in the bases of U.S. Force in Japan. Supporting current Status of Force Agreement, new agreement will lay stricter standard on environment. The government of Okinawa has been demanding that agreement for years. The timing of the announcement strongly indicated political incentive of the governments to support preferable candidate in the gubernatorial election weeks later. But people in Okinawa may be frustrated with apparent intervention of national government.

U.S. Force in Japan has voluntarily been applying Japan Environmental General Standard from 1995, acknowledging Japan’s demand on preventing land and sea pollution. However, actual operation for protecting environment has not been strictly regulated. New agreement will allow Japanese government investigating accident inside U.S. bases and research of bases before it will be returned to Japan.

If new standard are activated, Japanese government will not be required to get allowance from U.S. Force for the investigation. Local government, including Okinawa expects the research becoming easier. The governor in Okinawa, Hirokazu Nakaima, praised national government, saying “I appreciate the government for making effort in difficult agreement. I want it to be finished in an efficient shape.”

For Okinawa gubernatorial election on November 16^th, Nakaima has been said to be lagging behind of Takeshi Onaga, former mayor of Naha city. The reason is clear: Nakaima turned off his campaign promise at last election four years ago, which was relocating Futenma Air Base out of Okinawa. Most people in Okinawa realized that change of policy as betrayal against people’s hope. National government is backing Nakaima as much as it can, for implementing the agreement with U.S. to move Futenma base to Henoko in northern Okinawa. The government has, however, been buying broad dissatisfaction in Okinawa.

Before arguing the fairness of policy, some discuss that new environmental agreement will not work at all. The agreement includes a clause of condition, which allows U.S. Force an exclusive administrative right. Using the right, U.S. Force can dismiss a request from Japanese government with exercising that right. In addition, Tokyo Shimbun revealed that Japanese government would be subsidizing U.S. Force, when the force would make effort in taking environment-conscious measures.

On this issue, Ministry of Foreign Affairs asserted that it would not be a subsidy for U.S., but an investment for the land returning to Japan. Say it after having made a deal of actual return.