POINT OF VIEW/ Shigefumi Matsuzawa: Environmental pact a first step to revising SOFA

Japan-U.S. diplomacy under the new administration of the Democratic Party of Japan got under way in September with a summit talk between Prime Minister Yukio Hatoyama and U.S. President Barack Obama in New York.

As chair of the Governors' Association for Military Facilities, which represents 14 prefectures that host U.S. military bases, I am pushing for the "reexamination" and revision of the Japan-U.S. Status of Forces Agreement (SOFA). As such, I would like to make a policy proposal to the new administration.

Given the international context that surrounds Japan, we cannot deny that the deterrent effect provided by security arrangements with the United States is important for the country's safety and the stability of East Asia. However, from the vantage point of a prefecture that hosts U.S. bases, I have to say the foundation of the Japan-U.S. alliance is far from rock-solid.

The SOFA, which was concluded in 1960, has never been revised and has, over the years, developed several problems. I do not believe that a review of the agreement would necessarily make it difficult to maintain good Japan-U.S. relations. On the contrary, I think it would lead to the strengthening of the alliance and improved trust between the peoples of the two countries.

A typical example is the environmental problem. I am confident that efforts to conserve the environment of U.S. bases would benefit not only U.S. military personnel living there but also local residents in surrounding areas.

However, the agreement contains nothing on this issue. Apparently, nearly 50 years ago when the agreement was signed, no one gave any thought to environmental concerns. For this reason, the governors' association has been calling for the reexamination of the agreement and the incorporation of clauses that ensure conservation of the environment.

Up to now, the Japanese and U.S. governments have repeatedly stated that instead of revising the agreement, it is enough to improve its application and administration. However, there is no end to the accidents, such as leakage of fuel and other pollutants outside the bases, which cause environmental pollution. When such situations arise, the agreement merely stands in the way of attempts by local government officials to enter the bases for inspections and to collect sufficient information for disclosure.

We are demanding the reexamination of the agreement over a broad range of subjects with a particular emphasis on the following three: In addition to environment-related issues, we are calling for the review of legal procedures to handle criminal cases involving U.S. servicemen and the creation of a forum within the Japan-U.S. Joint Committee to hear opinions of local residents. We urge the new administration to recognize these problems and negotiate with Washington for the revision of the agreement.

However, since the interests of both countries are bound in an intricate and sensitive way, it will likely take a long time to reexamine the agreement across the board.

Therefore, as a way to resolve the situation, I wish to propose the conclusion of a special pact exclusively concerning the environment. Environmental problems are serious and urgent because they affect the lives and health of people who live in areas around U.S. military bases. Since improvement of the situation benefits both Japan and the United States, I think the U.S. side would find it easier to accept the proposal. In terms of actual negotiations, I am hopeful that the pact may be realized in much less time than it would take to revise the SOFA.

The proposed pact is aimed at allowing the Japanese side to conduct effective on-site inspections and establishing procedures for the prevention and removal of pollution. It also calls for information disclosure to eliminate the anxiety of local residents and the creation of a framework of cooperation between Japan and the United States.

I plan to visit the United States from Tuesday to exchange views with staff from the Obama administration dealing with the issue. I also wish to use all domestically available channels to advance this matter.

Since there has been a change of government in both Japan and the United States, this is an ideal opportunity to use new perspectives to promote policies in areas where little has been achieved. I hope the conclusion of a special pact on environmental problems will eventually lead to a reexamination of the agreement as a whole.

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The author is governor of Kanagawa Prefecture.(IHT/Asahi: November 2,2009)