In the wake of the discovery of high levels of potentially harmful PFAS chemicals in well water around a U.S. military facility in Higashihiroshima, Hiroshima Prefecture, efforts have been made to identify the source of the contamination, but they have hit a roadblock — the U.S.-Japan Status of Forces Agreement.
The city has asked the U.S. military to conduct an environmental survey of its Kawakami Ammunition Depot, but so far, no progress has been made. One expert believes that there is a room to urge the U.S. forces to take action within the scope of an existing agreement and urged the local community to continue with their appeals for action.
PFAS, or perfluoroalkyl and polyfluoroalkyl substances, is a group of chemicals widely used in products such as frying pan coatings and fire extinguishing foams for airplanes. It is a group of over 10,000 synthetic chemicals, and some of them are said to cause health problems such as increased cancer risks, higher cholesterol levels and impaired immune systems.