Okinawa assembly protests sub radiation leak

[unhappycamper]

Okinawa assembly protests sub radiation leak
Kyodo News Agency
Posted : Wednesday Sep 17, 2008 6:09:25 EDT

NAHA, Japan — The Okinawa prefectural assembly unanimously adopted a resolution and an opinion Wednesday protesting that a U.S. nuclear-powered submarine made port calls at a U.S. naval facility in the prefecture while water containing trace amounts of radiation leaked from it.

Members of the prefectural assembly will deliver the resolution and opinion to U.S. government institutions based in the prefecture, possibly next week.

The text of the resolution and opinion says the Los Angeles-class fast-attack submarine Houston called at the U.S. Navy’s White Beach in the city of Uruma a total of five times during a two-year period between July 2006 and this April, when the contaminated water was leaking.

The assembly asks the U.S. military to refrain from sending the Houston to the facility until it is confirmed safe.

Even though the amount of radiation was minimal, the fact that the vessel repeatedly visited the facility while radiation was leaking caused great concern among Okinawa Prefecture residents, the documents say.


Rest of article at: http://www.navytimes.com/news/2008/09/ap_subleak_091608/%2e