Okinawa Gov. Takeshi Onaga announced Friday that he will carry out procedures to withdraw his predecessor's approval for land reclamation in the Henoko coastal area in Nago, Okinawa Prefecture, to which the U.S. Marine Corps' Futenma Air Station is planned to be relocated.
If the approval is withdrawn, work to relocate the U.S. base, currently in Ginowan in the prefecture, will be suspended. The central government is considering taking judicial measures to counter the move, including seeking a stay of execution of the withdrawal.
At a press conference at the prefectural government building, Onaga said, "The [central] government's stance to try to push through the construction of a new base in Henoko without reviewing the plan is totally unacceptable."
As the basis for seeking the withdrawal, Onaga described the central government's steps to protect the environment as insufficient as it began landfill work without transplanting rare coral reefs, among other reasons. He also cited the central government's failure to consult with the prefecture even though the possibility had been raised that the seabed may be soft in the waters where the landfill work is planned.
The central government is scheduled to inject earth and sand into the relocation site as early as Aug. 17. The prefectural side appears to be acting with an eye to withdrawing the approval before that work begins.
Based on the Administrative Procedure Law, the prefectural government will soon notify the Okinawa Defense Bureau of the Defense Ministry that it will hold a hearing to hear opinions of the central government in advance. After scrutinizing the opinions in one to two weeks, it is expected to take steps to invalidate the landfill approval as early as mid-August.
The earth-filling work for the relocation is expected to be halted due to the withdrawal of the approval. However, the central government intends to file a suit to nullify the withdrawal and seek the court to approve a stay of execution as countermeasures. The government apparently believes the stay of execution is highly likely to be approved.
It is likely to take from several weeks to a month or so for the court to make a decision. There is an influential view that the effect of any work suspension will be limited.
In general, withdrawal is a step that can be taken when a grave legal violation occurs or such a step is necessary for the public good after the approval. The revocation by Onaga in October 2015 -- pointing to legal defects in the procedures for the previous governor's approval of the landfill work -- is different from the withdrawal.
If the central government files a suit to nullify the withdrawal, the suit will be the sixth of its kind between the central and Okinawa prefectural governments over the Henoko issue.
Meanwhile, Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said at a press conference on Friday morning that the central government intends to go ahead with the relocation work as planned.
"We'll deal with the matter appropriately in line with legal provisions. There will be no change in our stance to carry out the Henoko relocation work with due consideration for the natural environment and living conditions of local residents," Suga said.
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