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Deafening silence from U.S. government as Okinawa defoliants quietly destroy children's futures

Voices | FOREIGN AGENDA Jun 21, 2017

Deafening silence from U.S. government as Okinawa defoliants quietly destroy children's futures

by Kris E. Roberts

Lt. Col. Kris E. Roberts, who found dozens of barrels of hazardous waste buried at U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma in 1981, reflects on the consequences of that discovery.

Help for those seeking left-behind parents in Japan

How-tos | LIFELINES Apr 26, 2017

Help for those seeking left-behind parents in Japan

by Louise George Kittaka

Two adult daughters contacted Lifelines hoping to get help with issues related to their fathers.

Agent Orange and Okinawa: the story so far

Issues | THE FOREIGN ELEMENT Apr 27, 2016

Agent Orange and Okinawa: the story so far

by Jon Mitchell

Five years after The Japan Times first revealed the U.S. military's use of toxic defoliants on the island, new evidence continues to come to light.

As Okinawa confronts dioxin, Vietnam offers lessons

Issues | THE FOREIGN ELEMENT Jan 13, 2016

As Okinawa confronts dioxin, Vietnam offers lessons

by Jon Mitchell

Health monitoring and safety measures are urged as U.S. military denials fly in the face of mounting evidence of contamination on the island.

Pentagon blocks report on 'toxic contamination' at base outside Okinawa capital

Issues | THE FOREIGN ELEMENT Sep 16, 2015

Pentagon blocks report on 'toxic contamination' at base outside Okinawa capital

by Jon Mitchell

Excerpts cite buried chemicals and 'evidence of contamination by heavy metals and pesticides' at military site on prime real estate near Naha.

Japan and U.S. accused of failing Okinawa residents and veterans sickened by Agent Orange

National Oct 31, 2014

Japan and U.S. accused of failing Okinawa residents and veterans sickened by Agent Orange

by Mami Maruko and Shusuke Murai

A journalist who has documented the alleged existence of Agent Orange on Okinawa has accused Tokyo and Washington of side-stepping their responsibilities to local residents and military personnel who may have been exposed to the toxic defoliant. Jon Mitchell, a research associate at Meiji Gakuin ...

Agent Orange ingredients found at Okinawa military dumpsite

National Jul 11, 2014

Agent Orange ingredients found at Okinawa military dumpsite

by Jon Mitchell

Rusting barrels unearthed on former U.S. military land in the city of Okinawa are confirmed as containing chemical precursors to the toxic defoliant Agent Orange.

Voices | HOTLINE TO NAGATACHO Dec 23, 2013

Demand answers about dioxin threat at Okinawa schools

What are officials doing to ensure children are not exposed to potential contamination at Bob Hope Primary School and Amelia Earhart Intermediate School in Okinawa City? Demand school officials close the playground until the soil can be tested and remediation undertaken if necessary.

Okinawa: the junk heap of the Pacific

Issues | THE FOREIGN ELEMENT Nov 11, 2013

Okinawa: the junk heap of the Pacific

by Jon Mitchell

Over the past seven decades, Okinawa's sea, land and air have been contaminated with a cocktail of toxins by the U.S. military that have poisoned Okinawan civilians and U.S. troops alike.

Denials of defoliant at former U.S. base site in Okinawa fly in the face of science

Voices | HOTLINE TO NAGATACHO Aug 26, 2013

Denials of defoliant at former U.S. base site in Okinawa fly in the face of science

The inescapable fact is that the U.S. military, on Kadena Air Base, disposed of materials in drums containing 2,4,5-T , a wartime defoliant, and TCDD, the most toxic component of the dioxin family, known to be associated with the manufacture of such herbicides.

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