Defense Agency chief Tsutomu Kawara carried out an early Wednesday morning inspection at the U.S. Atsugi Naval Air Facility in Kanagawa Prefecture to check on dioxin pollution blamed on a nearby incinerator, in a hastily arranged visit before U.S. Defense Secretary William Cohen's arrival in Japan later in the day.
Kawara visited the air base, which is situated between the cities of Yamato, Ayase and Ebina, from 6 a.m. to 7 a.m. to view its proximity to an industrial waste incinerator run by the private company Enviro-Tech.
"The housing facilities and the garbage incinerator are located so close to each other that the situation cannot be ignored. I think the issue should be tackled by the entire government," Kawara told reporters after the inspection.