Jun 26 (Fri): U.S. Congress expresses concerns over Henoko; Landfill soil deliveries at Awa exceeded over 1000 truckloads in one day

On June 23, the U.S. Congress House Committee on Armed Services adopted a National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) for the year 2021 that stated its concerns over the validity of the new military base in Henoko as a Futenma Airport Alternative Facility. It is the first time that the U.S. Congress has made reference to the active faults and the soft ground of Oura Bay in the Act.

In the Act, it states at the very beginning that “we are concerned over continuation of the construction of Futenma Airport Alternative Facility”, and points out that the soft ground of the Oura Bay “will give a negative influence” on the construction plan, and talks about 2 active faults and the sea floor that differs 50 meters in elevation. It also includes many other documents that Okinawa citizens have put together to point out the risks that need to be reviewed. It summons the U.S. Secretary of Defense to submit a written report that includes a plan for betterment before December 1, 2020.
For the 2021 NDAA to be effective, it has go through several more steps including the Senate’s approval. Since the problems are stated clearly in the NDAA for the year 2021, it will start active discussion within the U.S.

On the same day, Governor Denny Tamaki publicly stated that “these are the fruits of our visit to the U.S.”, and elaborated that “there are still some hurdles to clear before its implementation, but we are committed to raise a question on Henoko issue through collaboration and sharing information between the citizens of Okinawa prefecture and our representatives in Washington”. Another chance is here for us to draw attention to the Henoko base issues in the U.S.

(In front of Camp Schwab Gate)
Approximately 30 people resumed the protest rally. The female protestors took an initiative to enliven the rally by songs and speeches. Three times from the

(Ryukyu Cement Awa Pier)
In the soft rain, nearly 20 people divided themselves to protest both at the entrance and the exit of the pier. The dump trucks move around at a higher pace as if to recover the delay in the construction work caused by the COVID 19 pandemic. The operation continued until 8 o’clock in the evening. 785 truckloads yesterday and 1031 today were loaded onto the cargo ships.

(Motobu Shiokawa Pier)
It was difficult for the cargo ships to keep their balance due to the bad weather. Hence, the construction work was interrupted for about 2 hours, but started