[CPEO-MEF] GLOBAL: Toxic waste missteps at Yokota Air Force base, Japan

[Lenny Siegel <Lsiegel@cpeo.org>]

DOD IG audit finds toxic waste missteps at Air Force base in Japan 

By SETH ROBSON 
STARS AND STRIPES 
May 8, 2025

YOKOTA AIR BASE, Japan — A Defense Department inspector general’s audit faulted this U.S. airlift hub in western Tokyo for mishandling toxic substances, including chemicals from firefighting foam and electrical equipment, according to a recent report. 

The audit cited discrepancies at Yokota involving improper storage of 250 gallons of water contaminated with PFAS — per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances — and the incorrect disposal of PCBs — polychlorinated biphenyls — found in oil from electrical transformers. 

The issues were uncovered during a broader review of hazardous waste management by the DOD in Japan. 

The units involved — the 374th Airlift Wing and 5th Air Force — have since addressed the discrepancies by submitting revised plans for proper handling of hazardous materials, according to the April 30 report.


…

For the entire article, see
https://www.stripes.com/theaters/asia_pacific/2025-05-08/pfas-toxic-waste-yokota-japan-17721793.html


—

Lenny Siegel
Executive Director
Center for Public Environmental Oversight
A project of the Pacific Studies Center
LSiegel@cpeo.org
P.O. Box 998, Mountain View, CA 94042
Voice/Fax: 650-961-8918
http://www.cpeo.org
Author: DISTURBING THE WAR: The Inside Story of the Movement to Get Stanford University out of Southeast Asia - 1965–1975 (See http://a3mreunion.org)




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