Oct 16 04:55 AM US/EasternTOKYO, Oct. 16 (AP) - (Kyodo) — Nine residents of Yokosuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, have appealed a high court ruling that dismissed their plea calling on local authorities to cancel permission for the state to dredge Yokosuka port to accommodate the nuclear-powered U.S. aircraft carrier George Washington, their lawyer said Thursday.
The Tokyo High Court rejected their lawsuit on Oct. 1, saying the dredging work had already been completed and that any benefit to them from the suit no longer exists.
The George Washington arrived at the U.S. naval base in Yokosuka in late September, becoming the first nuclear-powered carrier to use a Japanese city as a home port.
The plaintiffs initially filed the suit with the Yokohama District Court in an attempt to prevent the deployment of the George Washington, arguing that dredging would disperse toxic sludge in the sea and potentially damage the local fishing industry and surrounding environment.
The district court dismissed the case in February, prompting the plaintiffs to appeal the ruling to the high court.
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