Japan, U.S. eye 2 base shape options, continue flight route talks+

TOKYO, Aug. 31 Kyodo -
Japan and the United States unveiled Tuesday a report on the technical details
of the planned replacement facility for a key U.S. Marine base in Okinawa that
presents two options for its design -- either two runways in a V-shaped
formation or a single runway.
The document on the planned relocation of the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air
Station from a crowded residential area in Ginowan to a less densely populated
area in Nago in Okinawa also says the two countries will continue talks on
aircraft flight routes to and from the replacement facility to iron out their
differences.
The two countries agreed in May to transfer the base within the prefecture and
aim to finalize the relocation plan at the next bilateral meeting of foreign
and defense chiefs under the ''two-plus-two'' framework.
Foreign Minister Katsuya Okada told reporters in releasing the new report that
the two countries left open the possibility of adjusting the plans and stressed
the importance of gaining local understanding on the base relocation plan to
implement the May accord.
''Without gaining Okinawa's understanding, we cannot move forward. We will keep
communicating with local Okinawans in the run-up to the next two-plus-two
meeting,'' Okada said, adding, however, that the schedule for the upcoming
talks of foreign and defense chiefs has not yet been decided.
The report says, ''As long as the environmental impact assessment procedures
and construction could be completed without significant delay and U.S.
operational requirements continue to be met, the possibility of the adjustments
to the plans in the process of verification and validation could not be
excluded.''
The Japanese government briefed the Okinawa prefectural government on the
report before releasing it.
Deputy Okinawa Gov. Yoshiyuki Uehara, who visited the premier's office for the
government briefing on the report, told reporters the Okinawan view that the
plan to relocate Futenma within the prefecture would be extremely difficult
''remains unchanged.''
In Okinawa, Nago Mayor Susumu Inamine used much harsher words in criticizing
the relocation plan.
''I'm saying that we do not need a new base in Henoko (in Nago),'' Inamine told
reporters in Nago. ''In whatever form the relocation takes place, it is out of
the question and is an abominable act.''
Japan and the United States are expected to continue talks on the technical
details of the base relocation amid local opposition to moving the Futenma base
within Okinawa.
The government of Prime Minister Naoto Kan plans to defer a decision on a
specific scheme for the relocation until after the Okinawa gubernatorial
election slated for November, judging that reaching a bilateral accord before
the poll would further fuel local opposition.
Japan and the United States differ on the design of the replacement facility
and aircraft flight routes, issues that are linked to the degree of impact on
the local marine environment and noise pollution.
Washington maintains a V-shaped formation is the ''best'' option based on
operational and other factors. Tokyo prefers a single runway, saying it is
advantageous from the environmental viewpoint.
The length of the runways would be 1,800 meters for both the V-shaped and
single-runway proposals. The report said both plans could meet safety
standards.
The V-shaped runway plan was originally stipulated under a 2006 bilateral
accord on the Futenma relocation.
The bilateral pact reached in May says the replacement facility will be located
at the Camp Schwab Cape Henoko area and adjacent waters, ''with the runways
portion(s) of the facility to be 1,800 meters, inclusive of overruns, exclusive
of seawalls.''
According to the report, the total area of reclaimed land would be 25 percent
smaller under the single runway plan compared with the V-shaped option, posing
a smaller risk to the marine environment and reducing construction costs by 3
percent. The V-shaped plan is estimated to cost at least 350 billion yen,
Japanese officials said.
Specifically, the single runway plan would reclaim approximately 40 hectares
less sea area and require approximately 2.1 million cubic meters less fill than
that required for the V-shaped plan.
The single runway plan requires fresh examinations of new data and would
prolong the process of environmental impact assessment, but would shorten the
construction period because of the smaller estimated sea area to be reclaimed.
Therefore, the report assumes the completion point for the single runway option
would be nine months later than the existing V-shaped plan, under which the
Japanese government has been conducting the current environmental assessment.
The two countries had agreed in 2006 to aim for the completion of the
replacement facility by 2014, but experts were unable to determine the actual
starting date for construction for either plan in the report due to
uncertainties.
The document said that aircraft would fly over more land areas under the single
runway plan compared with the V-shaped option, but the Japanese officials said
it would not necessarily cause more noise because the route will be set over
scarcely populated areas.
As for the flight routes, the United States has proposed a major change during
bilateral negotiations, saying U.S. aircraft will fly closer to onshore areas
than Tokyo had earlier expected under visual flight rules using two runways in
the V-shaped formation, according to bilateral diplomatic sources.
Japan is opposed to the U.S.-proposed routes on the grounds it would worsen
noise levels and pose greater risks of accidents to local residents.
Okada said he expects the two countries to study in future talks what kinds of
flight routes are necessary. He indicated the possibility of modifications
being made in the current process of environmental impact assessment depending
on possible changes in the routes.
The report said experts studied a plan to build a pile-supported pier type
Futenma replacement facility, but concluded that the sea area reclamation
method would be more suitable due to concerns about a pile structure's
vulnerability to attack and both countries' lack of experience with the
construction method.
==Kyodo
2010-08-31 23:43:47


Delete & Prev | Delete & Next