An Okinawa Prefectural Government panel has concluded that building a new airfield in Nago to relocate the U.S. Futenma base would destroy the natural environment and make the area uninhabitable.
The panel submitted its views in a report to the prefectural government, after completing its examination of an environmental impact assessment report by the central government on moving U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma to the coastal area in Henoko.
The panel's report was released Wednesday and Okinawa Gov. Hirokazu Nakaima will likely cite its conclusion when presenting his opinion to the central government on the base's relocation by Feb. 20.