Henoko relocation of Futenma Air Base Apply for design change to Okinawa Prefecture Ministry of Defense April 21, 10:20
Regarding the plan to move the US military Futenma base in Okinawa to Henoko, Nago City, the Ministry of Defense applied to Okinawa Prefecture on the morning of the 21st for a design change necessary to improve the soft ground at the planned landfill site. Okinawa Prefecture has a policy of not allowing changes, and it is expected that the conflict between the country and the prefecture will continue.
Regarding the relocation plan of the US military Futenma base, the Ministry of Defense has reviewed the design to improve the soft ground at the planned landfill site.
We have heard from experts about the technical content and the impact on the environment, but we have concluded that they are generally satisfactory.
On the other hand, in a trial in which Okinawa Prefecture sued the country for landfill, the prefecture's loss was confirmed in March.
For this reason, the Ministry of Defense applied for the design changes necessary to improve the soft ground to Okinawa Prefecture on the 21st before 9:00 am, assuming that the necessary preparations were made for the application.
According to the new plan, it will take about 12 years to complete the project, and it will cost about 930 billion yen. At the beginning, the return of the Futenma base, which was supposed to be possible in 2022, is expected to be significantly delayed in the 2030s.
However, Okinawa Prefecture has a policy not to allow changes to prevent relocation, and it is expected that the conflict between the country and the prefecture will continue.
In December 2018, the Ministry of Defense began putting earth and sand into the planned landfill site in Henoko, Nago City, and the relocation plan over 20 years ago has entered a new stage.
In response, the governor of Okinawa Prefecture, Tamaki, said, "The anger of the citizens of the prefecture is getting more and more intense."
A month after that, in January of last year, Defense Minister Iwaya discovered that soft ground that needed improvement was found in more than 40% of the landfill area. We will take appropriate steps "and express the idea of applying for a design change to Okinawa Prefecture.
The government launched a study group made by experts in civil engineering and geology in September of last year, saying that difficult construction is expected to strengthen the soft ground, and gave six opinions on how to strike a pile. I asked, but no objection was raised.
At a review meeting held in December last year, the Ministry of Defense outlined a design review that would take about 12 years to complete and cost 930 billion yen.
As a result, the return of the Futenma base, which was supposed to be possible in 2022 at the earliest, is expected to be significantly delayed in the 2030s.
On the other hand, during this time, there was a move in the judiciary.
In July last year, Okinawa Prefecture opposed the relocation to Henoko, and complained that it was illegal for the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism to cancel the landfill approval withdrawal by the prefecture in 2018.
The Supreme Court issued a ruling in March regarding this claim, confirming that Okinawa Prefecture has lost the case.
On the 21st, the government applied to Okinawa Prefecture for a change in the design, saying that the experts had no objection to the review of the design and that the procedure was justified.