October 19, 2019 Ryukyu Shimpo
On October 17, it was confirmed that the sea surface around Oura Bay, where construction work for the new military base in Henoko, Nago, Okinawa in conjunction with the relocation of U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma is underway, was muddied by red clay soil.
This appears to be the result of heavy rains on that day. The photograph was captured by the civic group Okinawa Drone Project using a small drone.
From the image, it can be seen that the sea in the land reclamation zone is colored brown.
Similarly, around the silt curtain installed to the north of the “K9 seawall” on the Oura Bay side, outflow of muddied water from the edge of the silt curtain, which extends in a straight line, was also confirmed.
“A silt curtain is installed for protection against muddied water arising at the site.
It has no effect if it doesn’t surround the periphery of the contamination source,” pointed out civil engineer Tsuyoshi Kitaueda.
The Ryukyu Shimpo made an inquiry to the Okinawa Defense Bureau as to why a silt curtain was installed that doesn’t surround the contamination source, but as of October 18 it has received no reply.
(English translation by T&CT and Sandi Aritza)
