Jinkanpo Atsugi Incinerator Explained

The Enviro-Tech Incinerator Complex (Atsugi Incinerator) was a waste incinerator located in Ayase, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan,^[1] (formerly Jinkanpo/Shinkampo).^[2] It began operation on March 3, 1980 and was closed on April 30, 2001.^[3] The incinerator was located near Naval Air Facility Atsugi, a base manned partly by several thousand United States Navy members and their families.

Throughout its history, the incinerator reportedly blew toxic and cancerous emissions over the neighbouring base facilities.^[4] The incinerator's owners, arrested and jailed for charges of tax evasion, neglected the maintenance of the facility. The pollution had become so much of a health concern for the American residents that if they showed signs of adverse health effects, the U.S. military authorities allowed them to leave early (usually service members are stationed at the base for a tour of three years). Many U.S. service members reported sickness and a few died from cancer shortly after moving back to the United States.^[5] However, the US Navy has not formally established a connection between their exposure and their disease. For a time, the base required service members to undergo medical screenings before being stationed at the base in order to ensure that they had no medical condition that would be worsened by the poor air quality.

In May 2001, the Japanese government purchased the plant for nearly 40 million dollars and shut it down following a United States Department of Justice lawsuit against the private incinerator owner.^[6] Dismantling was completed by the end of that year. Some former residents of Atsugi NAF still complain of health problems related to the incinerator's emissions and report that the USN has been reluctant to address their concerns. The incinerator contaminated the base, especially the housing area, with dioxin, heavy metals, and other deadly toxins. In June, 2007, the USN's Environmental Health Center announced that it would conduct a study of the health population of those stationed at NAF Atsugi during the time the incinerator was in operation.

The Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center has stated that a new health study is currently underway and should be released in the summer of 2009.

References

Web

• Web site: Dwyer. Devin. ABC NEWS. 9 October 2009. Enduring War and 'Witch's Brew of Toxic Chemicals' Veterans to Congress: Investigate, Ensure Medical Care for Chemical Exposure.
• Web site: Svan. Jennifer H.. Stars and Stripes. 18 November 2007. Clearing the Air Around Atsugi Incinerator .
• Web site: Talton. Trista. Navy Times. 4 October 2007. Web site raises profile of Atsugi health woes.
• Web site: Documented Toxic Exposure from the Jinkanpo/Shinkampo Incinerator. February 6, 2008.
• Web site: Naval Air Facility Atsugi Japan Shinkampo Incinerator Complex Health Information – Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center . August 10, 2008 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101223001445/http://www-nmcphc.med.navy.mil/Environmental_Health/about_atsugi.aspx . December 23, 2010 .
• Web site: Naval Facilities Engineering Command NFESCA - Atsugi . August 10, 2008 . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20101207044607/https://portal.navfac.navy.mil/portal/page/portal/navfac/navfac_ww_pp/navfac_nfesc_pp/tab92955%3Atab5911334 . December 7, 2010 .
• Web site: Commission on Life Sciences. National Research Council. 2001. Review of the US Navy's Human Health Risk Assessment of the Naval Air Facility at Atsugi, Japan. National Academy Press. 2007-06-28.
• Web site: Hesse. Stephen. July 17, 2000. Dioxin found deadly for sure -- and they're pumping it out. The Japan Times. 2007-06-28.
• Web site: Hesse. Stephen. February 12, 2001. U.S. sues Atsugi incinerator operator. The Japan Times. 2007-06-28.
• Web site: Hesse. Stephen. February 26, 2001. Incineration as usual in Kanagawa, despite suit. The Japan Times. 2007-06-28.
• Web site: Hesse. Stephen. March 11, 2001. Japanese neighbors join in incinerator struggle. The Japan Times. 2007-06-28.
• Web site: Hesse. Stephen. June 27, 2007. Is this a poisons coverup?. The Japan Times. 2007-06-28.
• Web site: Hesse. Stephen. February 28, 2010. Is the Atsugi tragedy finally drawing to a close?. The Japan Times. 2011-08-28.
• Web site: Japan Times. The. The Japan Times. March 11, 2000. Ministers to work on Atsugi dioxin case. The Japan Times. 2007-06-28.
• Web site: Japan Times. The. The Japan Times. March 16, 2000. Kawara inspects Atsugi base for dioxin before Cohen lands. The Japan Times. 2007-06-28.
• Web site: Japan Times. The. The Japan Times. March 17, 2000. U.S. to give back Kadena base radar. The Japan Times. 2007-06-28.
• Web site: Japan Times. The. The Japan Times. March 28, 2000. U.S. sues to shut down incinerators. The Japan Times. 2007-06-28.
• Web site: Japan Times. The. The Japan Times. April 20, 2000. Dioxin in air over U.S. base 35 times standard. The Japan Times. 2007-06-28.
• Web site: Japan Times. The. The Japan Times. May 21, 2000. Dioxin contamination worst at Atsugi base, survey finds. The Japan Times. 2007-06-28.
• Web site: Japan Times. The. The Japan Times. April 21, 2001. Compensation deal reached with incinerator firm. The Japan Times. 2007-06-28.
• Web site: Kozaryn . Linda D. . March 28, 2000 . U.S., Japan agree to fight health hazard near NAF Atsugi . American Forces Press Service . 2007-06-28 . https://web.archive.org/web/20070609091850/http://www.c7f.navy.mil/news/2000/03/28.htm . June 9, 2007 . dead .

Notes and References

1. Web site: Blowing Smoke in Japan. www.washingtonpost.com. 2016-08-16.
2. Web site:
   1. 145: 03-27-00 JUSTICE DEPARTMENT FILES SUIT AGAINST JAPANESE COMPANY OVER AIR POLLUTION AT U.S. NAVY BASE NEAR TOKYO
   . 2000-03-27. United States Department of Justice. 2016-08-17.
3. Web site: Feigley testifies on Navy study's finding. www.asph.sc.edu. 2016-08-16.
4. News: U.S. sues Atsugi incinerator operator. Hesse. Stephen. 2001-02-12. The Japan Times Online. en-US. 0447-5763. 2016-08-16.
5. Web site: Clearing the air around Atsugi incinerator. 2016-08-16.
6. Web site: Compensation deal reached with incinerator firm The Japan Times Online . 2007-09-29 . 2016-08-16 . bot: unknown . https://web.archive.org/web/20070929122813/http://search.japantimes.co.jp/cgi-bin/nn20010421b1.html . 2007-09-29 .