BEIJING, Feb. 7 (Xinhua) -- Fukuoka Airport in southwestern Japan has been found to contain excessive levels of benzene and lead in the soil of Japan's **6** province, and the cause of the contamination is believed to be related to the fuel pipeline at the former site of the US military base. Japan** bears the entire cost of disposing of hazardous substances, causing public outrage.
According to the Mainichi Shimbun and others**, the Osaka Aviation Bureau of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism conducted a soil survey from 2015 to 2021 on plans to add a new runway at Fukuoka Airport, and the results showed that the soil contained excessive levels of benzene and lead at 38 sites, one of which was located near the international terminal.
The survey showed that the highest benzene content and the highest lead content at the contaminated sites were 23 times the Japanese national standard, and the highest lead content was 62 times, the total polluted area is 3706 square meters.
Fukuoka Airport was originally a U.S. military base and was returned to Japan in 1972. The U.S. military base is considered a source of contamination given that the contaminated sites are located near fuel pipelines laid on the site of the former U.S. military base.
According to Japan**, although Japan's relevant laws have the "polluter pays principle", according to the "Japan-US Status of Forces Agreement", when the US military returns facilities or land to Japan, it is not obliged to restore them to their original state or bear the relevant costs. Therefore, the cost of pollution treatment is entirely borne by the Japanese side.
By the end of 2022, Japan** had paid 11. for the disposal of hazardous substances400 million yen (about 55.17 million yuan). The Japanese people expressed their indignation at this, holding that it was unreasonable for the Japanese side to bear this cost, and that the US side should bear it.
Recently, US military bases in Japan have been frequently exposed to environmental pollution problems. Perfluorinated and polyfluoroalkyl substances were detected in water bodies near several U.S. military bases, and blood tests of nearby residents were abnormal. (Zhang Jing).