A group of people living near the U.S. military's Futenma Air Station in Ginowan, Okinawa Prefecture, said Tuesday they intend to file a lawsuit demanding that helicopter landing practice be stopped at the facility due to excessive noise.
The group plans to file the suit with the Naha District Court as early as October, people close to the group said. It would be the first noise pollution suit filed against the facility, they added.
The group, composed of local residents and their supporters, said it would ask the court to issue an order for the Japanese and U.S. governments to put an end to helicopter flight practice over residential areas as well as takeoffs and landings early in the morning and late at night. It would also demand compensation for noise pollution.
In the coming weeks, the group will hold meetings with people who live in areas subject to a Weighted Equivalent Continuous Noise Level of 75 or more due to activities at the air base. It hopes that about 100 to 200 people will join the suit as plaintiffs.