FOIA Docs Reveal Hot Spots, Fish Kills And Toxic Dumps on Okinawa Base

"Following an 18-month scuffle under the Freedom of Information Act, the Pentagon has released records detailing serious contamination on Okinawa base land slated soon for return to civilian use.

The FOIA release is believed to be the first time such comprehensive records regarding U.S. military contamination in Japan have been made public.

The 82-page package, which includes reports and memoranda from the U.S. Army, Navy and Marine Corps, reveals mass deaths of sea life, burials of toxic chemicals and the possible exposure of base workers at U.S. Marine Corps Camp Kinser in Urasoe, Okinawa Prefecture. The documents also highlight the frustrations of the U.S. military as it struggles to tackle contamination in the face of previous inept cleanups and bureaucratic obstacles."

Jon Mitchell reports for the Japan Times September 29, 2015.