Jinkanpo Atsugi Incinerator
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The Jinkanpo Atsugi Incinerator, (also known as the Shinkanpo Incineration Complex and Enviro-Tech) was a waste incinerator located in Ayase, Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan. It began operation in 1980's and was closed in 2001. The incinerator was near Naval Air Facility Atsugi (NAF Atsugi), a base manned partly by several thousand United States Navy members and their families.
Throughout its history, the incinerator reportedly blew toxic and cancerous emissions over the high-rise base dwellings in its immediate vicinity. The incinerator's owners, arrested and jailed for charges of tax evasion, neglected the maintenance of the facility. The pollution had become so much of a health concern for the American residents that if they showed signs of adverse health effects, the U.S. military authorities allowed them to leave early (usually servicemembers are stationed at the base for a tour of three years). Many U.S. servicemembers reported sickness and a few died from cancer shortly after moving back to the United States; however, there is no established connection between their exposure and their disease. For a time, the base required servicemembers to undergo medical screenings before being stationed at the base in order to ensure that they had no medical condition that would be worsened by the poor air quality.
In May 2001 the Japanese government purchased the plant for nearly 40 million dollars and shut it down. After the U.S. government, specifically the Department of Justice brought suit against the private incinerator owner in Ayase City, Kanagawa Prefecture. Dismantling was completed by the end of that year. Some former residents of Atsugi NAS still complain of health problems related to the incinerator's emissions and report that the USN has been reluctant to address their concerns. The incinerator contaminated the base, especially the housing area with DIOXIN, Heavy Metals and other deadly toxins. In June, 2007, the USN's Environmental Health Center announced that it would conduct a study of the health population of those stationed at NAF Atsugi during the time the incinerator was in operation.
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- Documented Toxic Exposure from the Jinkanpo/Shinkampo Incinerator.
- Commission on Life Sciences, National Research Council (2001). Review of the US Navy's Human Health Risk Assessment of the Naval Air Facility at Atsugi, Japan. National Academy Press. Retrieved on 2007-06-28.
- Hesse, Stephen (July 17, 2000). Dioxin found deadly for sure -- and they're pumping it out. The Japan Times. Retrieved on 2007-06-28.
- Hesse, Stephen (February 12, 2001). U.S. sues Atsugi incinerator operator. The Japan Times. Retrieved on 2007-06-28.
- Hesse, Stephen (February 26, 2001). Incineration as usual in Kanagawa, despite suit. The Japan Times. Retrieved on 2007-06-28.
- Hesse, Stephen (March 11, 2001). Japanese neighbors join in incinerator struggle. The Japan Times. Retrieved on 2007-06-28.
- Hesse, Stephen (June 27, 2007). Is this a poisons coverup?. The Japan Times. Retrieved on 2007-06-28.
- Japan Times, The (March 11, 2000). Ministers to work on Atsugi dioxin case. The Japan Times. Retrieved on 2007-06-28.
- Japan Times, The (March 16, 2000). Kawara inspects Atsugi base for dioxin before Cohen lands. The Japan Times. Retrieved on 2007-06-28.
- Japan Times, The (March 17, 2000). U.S. to give back Kadena base radar. The Japan Times. Retrieved on 2007-06-28.
- Japan Times, The (March 28, 2000). U.S. sues to shut down incinerators. The Japan Times. Retrieved on 2007-06-28.
- Japan Times, The (April 20, 2000). Dioxin in air over U.S. base 35 times standard. The Japan Times. Retrieved on 2007-06-28.
- Japan Times, The (May 21, 2000). Dioxin contamination worst at Atsugi base, survey finds. The Japan Times. Retrieved on 2007-06-28.
- Japan Times, The (April 21, 2001). Compensation deal reached with incinerator firm. The Japan Times. Retrieved on 2007-06-28.
- Kozaryn, Linda D. (March 28, 2000). U.S., Japan agree to fight health hazard near NAF Atsugi. American Forces Press Service. Retrieved on 2007-06-28.
