NAF Atsugi Incinerator

From March 1980 to April 2001, Naval Air Facility Atsugi, Japan and its surrounding community faced an assault of toxic emissions originating from the nearby Jinkanpo/Shinkampo/Enviro-Tech Incinerator Complex. The neighboring industrial waste facility, situated just 100 meters beyond the base's perimeter, frequently surpassed its burn limits and operated without proper emissions control equipment.

The Jinkanpo/Shinkampo waste incinerator, located just outside Naval Air Facility Atsugi, was a constant source of complaints for military families who lived on base. In the background is NAF Atsugi’s newly-opened residential apartment tower (Bldg. 3102), just 700 feet away from the incinerator. Photo by Clayton Farrington (June 1, 1997), National Archives Catalog

The incinerator complex's unfortunate placement, adjacent to the base's southwest perimeter and situated in a low-lying valley, exacerbated the situation. During the spring and summer, the emission plume consistently enveloped sensitive areas on the base, such as the military family housing, elementary school, preschool, daycare center, youth center, play areas, picnic spots, office buildings, and golf course —all within 500 meters of the Incinerator Complex.

NAF Atsugi Base Map - Southwest Border (1998). Courtesy of the NAF Atsugi Incinerator Group.

Compounding the problem, the complex's smokestacks were built insufficiently tall, releasing emissions at an average height of 7 meters above the base's ground level. The geographical dynamics, coupled with the interplay of winds and on-base structures, often led to a phenomenon known as downwash. This brought emissions downward, causing fumigation conditions and ground-level contamination of the air on the base.

A comprehensive air and soil sampling study conducted from 1998-1999 revealed the presence of 246 chemicals, with over 48 surpassing EPA health protective guidelines and regulations, including numerous known and suspected carcinogens.

Harmful emissions tainting the air – a visual timeline of pollution from the Jinkanpo/Shinkampo/Enviro-Tech Incinerator Complex. Courtesy of the NAF Atsugi Incinerator Group.

Health Effects

Inside the newest residential tower on moving-in day, a child watches her new neighbor, the incinerator, 700 feet away. Photo by Clayton Farrington (June 1, 1997), National Archives Catalog

While the incinerator operated, many personnel and residents on base reported higher rates of respiratory distress and illness. Adverse health effects such as irritation of the eyes & upper respiratory system, headaches, and skin rash were acute symptoms commonly experienced by those on base. At greater risk were those with existing respiratory diseases such as asthma, chronic bronchitis, or sinus problems. Young children were particularly susceptible to the irritating effects of the air pollution. For some, these symptoms disappeared after moving away, while for others these symptoms remained long after.

Certain exposures may have caused irreversible non-cancer effects, while repeated long-term exposure to the emissions increased the risk for latent health effects such as cancer. Fetuses in utero and young children were particularly vulnerable to the harmful effects of the pollutants.

Many former residents and personnel have reported a troubling pattern of illnesses among friends, co-workers, and family members. These health issues include, but are not limited to, neurodevelopmental disorders and reproductive issues in offspring, autoimmune conditions, peripheral neuropathy, to various forms of common and rare cancers. Tragically, instances of cancer affecting multiple family members, including children, have been reported - and cases where both parent and child have succumbed to the disease. Notably, a handful of cancer cases have occurred at ages younger than typical for the general US population, without other identifiable risk factors.

A warning sign for joggers and others walking outdoors stands under Atsugi’s newest military housing unit, opened in May 1997. Photo by Clayton Farrington (June 1, 1997), National Archives Catalog

Government Actions

Response to the Incinerator

In the early to mid 80s, NAF Atsugi Command received many complaints about the air quality and acute health effects from the Incinerator Complex. An investigational air sampling study was initiated in 1988 which recommended “personnel should be kept indoors and pregnant women should be kept off-base when the plume comes over the base.” Follow-up air screenings and Health Risk Assessments were completed in 1991, 1995, and 1998 - all concluding that there was an increased cancer and non-cancer health risk to the base population and suggested a more comprehensive health risk assessment be performed. Sampling for the one-year comprehensive study was initiated in March of 1998 and the final report was released in June of 2002. This study revealed the presence of 246 chemicals, with over 48 having surpassed EPA health protective guidelines and regulations, including numerous known and suspected carcinogens.

After many years of failed and frustrated efforts to convince the Government of Japan (GOJ) to shut down the illicit Incinerator complex, the Navy implemented a formal risk management plan in May of 1998 which required mandatory notifications and signed waivers for current and incoming personnel. Servicemembers were deemed unsuitable for PCS (permanent change of station) to NAF Atsugi if they or their family members had certain pre-existing chronic respiratory conditions, including asthma, sinusitis, and bronchitis. Still, even with these measures, many servicemembers report feeling that they did not fully understand the health risks and extent of the situation before arriving at NAF Atsugi. Furthermore, these mandatory notifications of exposure were not extended to former base personnel - many whom still may not be aware that they were exposed to unhealthy levels of pollutants or that subsequent health issues may be related to their time at NAF Atsugi. During the 80s and early 90s, it was common for the incinerator’s emissions to be referred to as a “low lying smog.”

Closure

The incinerator was eventually shut down on April 30, 2001 after the U.S. Department of Justice filed an injunction against the incinerator operator - a culmination of more than a decade of U.S. efforts. Before the suit could be decided, the GOJ bought out the incinerator and had it shuttered after becoming a hot diplomatic issue.

Despite the known health hazards, during the period spanning from the initial report in March 1989 to the eventual shutdown of the incinerator in 2001, the Department of the Navy continued to invite dependents to accompany servicemembers on base.

The Years Following

After the incinerator was shut down, little follow up was conducted on the exposure cohort. In 2007, a concerned military spouse began speaking out about chronic health effects her family and friends were experiencing - which she believed was a result of their time at NAF Atsugi. Shortly after, Navy Medicine contracted with the Battelle Institute in Oct. 2007 to review health risk assessment data and provide recommendations for follow-up. One of these recommendations was “establishing an outreach program for communication with former NAF Atsugi residents” while another included “defining and identifying the NAF Atsugi Cohort” to conduct medical surveillance and establish a registry. Unfortunately, neither of these recommendations were fully or effectively implemented. Instead, Navy Medicine established an Atsugi document repository website, but no direct outreach to the affected population was conducted. It is unclear how the exposure population would become aware of the existence of such a website for a problem that the majority have not been made aware about.

A limited epidemiological study was completed and released by Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center’s Epidemiology Data Center in April 2009 which compared selected health outcomes between former residents at NAF Atsugi and NS Yokosuka. The study identified 5,635 active duty and over 11,000 dependent former residents in the Atsugi exposure cohort and evaluated 11 selected cancer types and ocular, dermal, and respiratory disorders. The Navy’s study found no difference in cancer rates and no ocular or respiratory differences, although, it did find an increase in dermatological disorders among former NAF Atsugi residents.

Further Action Needed

After looking into this study, VFEA has many concerns. The 2009 NMCPHC Epidemiological Cohort Study exhibits considerable limitations attributable to substantial systematic bias. Due to study’s timing, design, and attrition, a majority (80%+) of the Atsugi exposure population were likely excluded from the results. These biases compromise the study’s capacity to adequately address the research question under investigation “Is the incidence of diseases associated with exposure to the emissions of the privately-owned Shinkampo Incinerator Complex (SIC) significantly different for residents of NAF Atsugi from 1985 to 2001 when compared to a similar population over the same time period?”, rendering any inferences on cancer prevalence or latent health issues in the Atsugi exposure population scientifically unreliable and inconclusive.

Insufficiency of Medical Surveillance & Follow-Up

A brief was provided to the DoD/VA Working Group in June 2009 and a list of the identified Atsugi cohort members was made available to the VA - eight years after the incinerator was shut down and twenty years after the exposure became a known health issue. Upon receiving this information the VA included the exposure in a compensation & pension service bulletin, training letter on environmental hazards, and created a webpage acknowledging the exposure. However, as of 2023, the VA has not examined the Atsugi cohort nor the veteran data they have accumulated from NAF Atsugi specific claims - which we understand have been largely denied. The VA has maintained that there is currently “no definitive scientific evidence to show that living at NAF Atsugi while the incinerator operated caused additional risk for disease” and leans on the Navy’s limited epidemiological study from 2009 as demonstrating “no increased risk for cancer among NAF residents” (read more here). This statement is partially true as neither the DoD nor the VA have put forth a comprehensive effort to study the long-term health effects in the NAF Atsugi cohort; adequate evidence cannot exist without proper investigation, data collection, and analysis.

Due to the substantial limitations of the Navy’s limited 2009 study, it is recommended that the DoD and VA refrain from using this study as a basis for drawing any conclusions about cancer prevalence or latent health issues within the Atsugi exposure population. To derive meaningful conclusions regarding the research question, a new, independent study addressing and rectifying the systematic biases is essential, especially now that cancer latency periods are mature for the Atsugi cohort. Ignoring these limitations and accepting the null hypothesis may result in misrepresenting the actual relationship between the variables of interest and misinforming veterans and their families of their tangible observed health risk, as well as denying Veterans’ benefits for health issues that may be linked to their service.

VFEA Recommendations

  • The VA only acknowledges 7 pollutants related to the NAF Atsugi exposure.

    At least 48 pollutants exceeded EPA guidelines and regulations per the 2002 NMCPHC Comprehensive Human Health Risk Assessment. Additional pollutants of concern also exceeded EPA guidelines in prior air sampling studies.

  • The VA and DoD have considered the exposure to start in 1985, when the operator received a permit to burn industrial waste.

    The incinerator was constructed and began operations next to the base on March 3, 1980 in association with a large open burn pit. Unfortunately, it was not built by a contractor with experience in waste disposal operations. Upon delivery there were many issues with the design and it took the operator many years of trial and error to figure out the process well enough. In the interim, waste continued to be openly burned in the pit. Authorities shut down the burn pit in 1984 for illegal open burning and cited the operator for disposal of industrial waste without a permit. After a temporary pause in operations, the operator applied for an industrial waste license in an attempt to legitimize his operations. It was approved in 1985 and the operations continued under the same ownership. Thus, the airborne hazards from the Complex began on March 3, 1980 and ended when the incinerator was shut down on April 30, 2001.

  • After the corrections to the exposure are recognized, VA should update internal guidance, training, bulletins, and other relevant documents.

    VA should also implement a toxic exposure screening handout specifically for NAF Atsugi veterans. Currently, Atsugi veterans that identify the incinerator as an exposure are handed an airborne hazards pamphlet which directs them to sign up for a registry in which they are not eligible to participate in.

  • Many former base personnel and residents - including servicemembers, veterans, family members, DoD employees, and civilian service workers - have not been officially notified of their exposure prior to May, 1998.

    No former base personnel or residents have been directly notified of the findings from the Navy’s 2002 Comprehensive Human Health Risk Assessment which found an elevated cancer and non-cancer risk for both children and adults.

    The Navy maintains that the act of publishing studies on their website without any further individual outreach is a sufficient form of notification.

    The absurdity of former personnel and residents knowing web pages exist regarding an issue they don’t know exists would be comical if the potential consequences weren’t so tragic.

  • The Atsugi cohort is not eligible to participate in any current VA registries.

    A new registry is needed specific to this exposure population due to the variety of exposure methods (air, soil, food, water) in addition to the exposure of children and dependents.

    The registry should allow responses to be updated after submission and registrants to be entered by caregivers or family members on behalf of veterans, dependents, and civil servants that are deceased or disabled.

  • Successful policy is based off of evidence; evidence requires data collection and analysis.

    Funding should be allocated to initiate an independent, comprehensive, inclusive, epidemiological study.

    The study should include direct outreach to exposed individuals and examine survey, registry, military, civilian, and veteran healthcare data.

    Additional insights can be gleaned from veterans benefits claim data.

  • Anecdotal evidence suggests that claims submitted to the VA regarding this exposure have largely been denied.

    The air at NAF Atsugi was documented to contain exceedances of similar toxic chemicals emitted from burn pits due to incomplete combustion (PAHs, Dioxins, Furans, Heavy Metals, VOCs) causing similar health issues in both populations.

    We propose extending the same presumptions granted under the PACT Act, as well as the fine particulate matter presumptions awarded in 2021 and 2022, to the NAF Atsugi cohort.

  • If the comprehensive epidemiological study identifies an elevated occurrence of health issues, health benefits should be provided to family members, mirroring the approach taken for affected Camp Lejeune families.