The U.S. cargo ship Greenwave departed a Yokohama dock Saturday afternoon to take PCB-contaminated waste from U.S. forces in Japan to a U.S. territory in the Pacific Ocean, Yokohama city officials said.
The 9,751-ton Greenwave loaded the 100 tons of waste, contaminated with polychlorinated biphenyl, from temporary storage at a dock maintained by the U.S. Army. The ship headed for Wake Island for unloading, they said.
The waste is made up of 14 containers believed to hold used transformers and oil products from the army's Sagamihara supply depot in Kanagawa Prefecture, the officials said.
A cargo ship carrying the waste left Yokohama on March 23 for a Vancouver port, but it was turned away at the Canadian port and again at a Seattle port due to protests by residents and local governments. It returned to Yokohama on April 18.
Both Yokohama and Sagamihara asked the U.S. military and the Japanese government to quickly transport the waste outside Japan and ensure public safety.
The carcinogenic compound is harmful to humans, affecting primarily the skin and liver.