At Fukuoka Airport, a location with a history as a U.S. military base, investigations have uncovered hazardous levels of lead and benzene, prompting a costly cleanup operation of about 380 million yen. This expense is shared between Fukuoka Prefecture and the city, deviating from the usual “polluter pays” principle due to its association with runway expansion efforts. Since 2015, these toxic substances were found at 38 sites within the airport, reaching up to 6.2 and 23 times over the acceptable levels for lead and benzene, respectively. Despite these findings, there is no threat of groundwater contamination or health risks to nearby communities. The cleanup, partly funded by the Japanese government, began in the 2019 fiscal year, although the exact origin of the contamination remains undetermined, with the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport, and Tourism unable to confirm a link to the airport’s military past. Source: NHK
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