Aug 31 12:30 AM US/Eastern
Aug 31 2:30 PM Guam/CST
TOKYO, Aug. 31 (AP) - (Kyodo) — Japan and the United States unveiled Tuesday an experts' report on 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 to a less densely populated area in the southern Japanese prefecture also avoids reference to aircraft flight routes to and from the replacement facility.
The Japanese government briefed the Okinawa prefectural government about the report before releasing it. Japan and the United States are expected to continue talks on technical details of the base relocation amid local opposition to moving the Futenma base within Okinawa.
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.
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 election would fuel local opposition further.
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 total area of reclaimed land would be smaller under the single runway plan, posing a smaller risk to the marine environment, according to the report.
As for the flight routes, the United States has proposed a major change during bilateral negotiations, saying that 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.
Japan is opposed to the U.S.-proposed routes on the grounds that it would worsen noise levels and pose greater risks of accidents to local residents.
Posts
