Okinawa Revokes Approval For Contentious U.S. Base Relocation Work

OKINAWA, JAPAN - OCT. 13: Okinawa Gov. Takeshi Onaga on Tuesday officially revoked the approval his predecessor issued to the central government for landfill work to relocate a key U.S. military base within the southern island prefecture, with the stalemate over the relocation plan now likely to end up in court. "It was recognized that there are defects in the approval. We decided that rescinding it is reasonable," Onaga said at a press conference at the Okinawa prefectural office building in Naha. At issue is the controversial Japan-U.S. plan to relocate the U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to Cape Henoko from its current densely populated location within Okinawa.While Onaga pointed to the legal "defects" in the approval for landfill work given in December 2013 by then Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima, Suga, the chief Cabinet secretary, said the central government sees "no legal flaws" in such approval. The approval acts as the legal basis for the Defense Ministry's local bureau to start full-fledged reclamation work. "Revoking the approval is extremely regrettable as it ignores the efforts made so far by Okinawa and central government officials to eliminate the risks posed by the Futenma base," he said, adding that construction work will continue as planned while taking "utmost care of the environment." Onaga, who notified the Okinawa Defense Bureau, an outpost of the Defense Ministry in charge of the reclamation work, about the revocation on Tuesday, reiterated his pledge "to take all possible measures so a new base will not be built at Henoko." Nago Mayor Susumu Inamine welcomed Onaga's move, telling reporters in the city where Henoko is located, "The day prefectural residents have been hoping for has finally come. I will fully support the governor's actions."