The proposed floating US base replacement was blocked by costs, safety, and dugongs
Evidence
Initially, Japanese officials proposed having the new base float on water. This idea came under intense criticism. Military officials were concerned about its technical feasibility. The General Accounting Office pointed out that the estimated annual operating costs were seventy times those at Futenma. Many were worried about the safety of plans to store ammunition under the runway. Environmentalists were concerned that the new base would seriously damage the maritime environment. Because of possible threats to the endangered dugong, a relative of the manatee, they filed a suit against the Pentagon and won a temporary block to construction. Voters in the proposed host city, Nago, have repeatedly opposed the new base. — David Vine, Base Nation_ How U.S. Military Bases…, 854
Categorization
Category: Factual Claims
- CANDY: The image of a US military base intended to float, plus the dugong lawsuit blocking it, is a striking and shareable story.