Forever Chemicals – How the US military contaminated the drinking water for 450,000 Okinawans

Aug 16, 2021 | News On Japan

Aug 16, 2021 (ANNnewsCH) - In 2016, residents of Okinawa Prefecture learned their drinking water was contaminated with high levels of harmful PFAS, aka “Forever Chemicals.”

They suspected the source of the contamination was Kadena Air Base, the largest US Air Force base in the Pacific, but the military refused to allow Okinawan officials to inspect the facility. Five years have passed; the US military continues to deny access to Kadena Air Base and it refuses to admit responsibility for the ongoing contamination. Now, this TV documentary from Ryukyu Asahi Broadcasting Corporation uses records obtained via the US Freedom of Information Act, whistleblower footage and government reports to reveal the truth behind one of the worst cases of environmental damage in recent Japanese history: how the US military contaminated the drinking water for 450,000 Okinawans.

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