The U.S. Air Force is storing nearly 400,000 gallons of PFAS-contaminated water at Yokota Air Base in Tokyo and plans to treat and release it, Japanese officials revealed after visiting the site.
Seth Robson and Hana Kusumoto report for Stars and Stripes.
In short:
- The U.S. Air Force informed Japan’s Ministry of Defense that it is storing 300,000 gallons of contaminated water in a reservoir and another 100,000 gallons at a firefighting training site on Yokota Air Base.
- This disclosure greatly exceeds previously reported amounts and follows recent PFAS-related spills at the base involving hundreds of gallons.
- Japan sent officials to collect water samples, marking the first time they’ve done so at Yokota, and results from the analysis are expected in two to three weeks.
Key quote:
“We are all One Community here and our mutual trust and friendship is a top priority. I’m thrilled to take another step toward closing this chapter and making Japan a better place for all of us.”
— Col. Richard McElhaney, wing commander, 374th Airlift Wing, writing in a press release
Why this matters:
PFAS chemicals have leached into drinking water around the globe and are associated with a range of health problems, including cancers, liver damage, and developmental effects in children. While the U.S. has committed to phasing out PFAS-laced foams, the legacy of contamination persists. Yokota’s situation underscores the long-term environmental and public health risks of such military pollutants. Japan’s decision to conduct its own testing points to growing concern over transparency and sovereignty, as communities demand accountability from foreign military installations. Contamination incidents involving thousands of gallons — much of which was previously undisclosed — raise concerns about water quality for surrounding neighborhoods.
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