December 1, 2022

The Honorable Jack Reed
Chair
Senate Armed Services Committee
Russell Senate Building, Room 228
Washington, D.C. 20510

The Honorable Adam SmithChair
House Armed Services Committee
2216 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

The Honorable James Inhofe
Ranking Member
Senate Armed Services Committee
Russell Senate Building, Room 228
Washington, D.C. 20510

The Honorable Mike Rogers
Ranking Member
House Armed Services Committee
2216 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20515

Dear Chair Reed, Chair Smith, Ranking Member Inhofe, and Ranking Member Rogers:
The undersigned members of the United States Congress and the Japanese Diet are
writing to express our concern about the grave consequences of the use of per-and
polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) on U.S. military bases in the United States and abroad. The
long-term use of these substances created serious, ongoing, and difficult-to-remediate
environmental damage that endangers the lives of individuals exposed to them.
The language related to PFAS in the current versions of the House and Senate National
Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), which should apply to U.S. military bases in both theUnited States and abroad, including Japan, is an important expression of the will of the UnitedStates government to recognize the harm PFAS substances have caused and to take appropriate
steps to address the problem. They include prohibitions on incinerating PFAS waste, restrictions
on the procurement of PFAS-containing equipment, reporting requirements for suspected PFAS
contamination outside the military, and extended studies on the health impacts of PFAS
contamination. We are writing to express our support for that language and to urge you to makesure it is included in final passage.
PFAS substances were used on U.S. military bases at home and abroad, including Japan,for decades. Once these substances enter the surrounding environment, they are absorbed in thewater, soil, plants, and wildlife in the areas adjacent to the bases. PFAS substances accumulate in
the tissues of human beings who come into contact with contaminated water and soils andconsume contaminated wildlife. Some PFAS substances are known carcinogens that cause manydifferent types of cancer. Individuals and families living on the periphery of U.S. military bases
both at home and abroad have long endured dangerous exposure to the U.S. military’s decadeslong use of PFAS substances.

It is important to make every effort to avoid creating or perpetuating known internal
threats to the health, happiness, and lives of the citizens it is our duty to defend. We cannot, ingood conscience, knowingly sacrifice our most vulnerable citizens if there are protective
measures, like those included in the relevant sections of the House and Senate versions of theNDAA, that we can take to prevent it.
The PFAS substance measures in the current drafts of this bill are a welcome sign that
we, as elected representatives, understand and accept the urgency of the problem of PFAS
contamination. We urge you to demonstrate you do as well by making sure these measures are
retained in final passage.
Sincerely,米「国防権限法案」の PFAS 規制条項を支持する日米プログレッシブ議員連盟共同書簡

ジャック・リード上院軍事委員会委員長殿アダム・スミス下院軍事委員会委員長殿ジェームズ・インホフ上院軍事委員会筆頭理事殿

マイク・ロジャース下院軍事委員会筆頭理事殿

私たちは、在米・在外米軍基地における化学物質 PFAS（パーフルオロアルキル化合物およびポリフルオロアルキル化合物）の使用がもたらす重大な被害について、強い懸念をもつ米国の連邦議会議員および日本の国会議員です。PFAS の長期的な使用は、深刻で継続的かつ修復困難な環境汚染を生み出し、それによって人々の命は危険にさらされてきました。
現在審議中の国防権限法（NDAA・2023 予算年度）の上下両院の現在の法案に含まれている PF
AS 関連の条項は、米国内および日本を含む在外の米軍基地に適用されるべきものですが、PFASがもたらしてきた被害を認識し、この問題に対処するための適切な措置をとるという米国政府の意志を示す重要なものです。これらの条項には、PFAS 廃棄物の焼却禁止、PFAS 含有装備の調達規制、非軍事施設におよぶ PFAS 汚染の疑いに関する報告義務、PFAS 汚染による健康被害に関する調査の拡大などが含まれています。私たち日米の国会議員は、この条項への支持を表明し、これらの条文が含まれたまま国防権限法を成立させることを強く要請致します。
PFAS は、米国内および日本を含む在外米軍基地において、数十年にわたり使用されてきました。ＰＦＡＳが周囲の環境に一度広がると、基地に隣接する地域の水を汚染し、土壌、植物や野生生物に吸収されます。人々が汚染された水や土壌に触れたり、汚染された動植物を口にしたりすることで、ＰＦＡＳは人間の体内に蓄積されます。PFAS には、様々な種類の癌の原因となる発癌性物質が含まれていることが判明しています。米国内外の米軍基地の周辺に住む人々は、米軍が数十年にわたって PFAS を使用し続けたことにより、長期にわたって危険にさらされ続けてきました。
私たち国会議員は、市民を守る立場にあります。その悪影響を把握しているのですから、人々の健康、幸福、生命に対する国内に存在する脅威を食い止めるために、あらゆる努力をしなければなりません。
国防権限法の現在の下院案・上院案記載の関連条文に含まれているような予防措置など、被害を防ぐための方法が存在するにもかかわらず、弱い立場に置かれた人々の犠牲を知りながら放置することは、良心に反します。
国防権限法の現在の法案に含まれている PFAS 対策は、国民の代表として選ばれた私たちが、PFAS 汚染問題の切実さを理解していることを示すものです。両委員長、両筆頭理事におかれましても、問題の切実さをご理解いただき、これらの条項を維持したまま国防権限法が成立となるよう、ここに強く求めます。
２０２２年１２月１日

Debbie Dingell
Member of Congress

衆議院議員 海江田万里

Eleanor Holmes Norton
Member of Congress

衆議院議員 原口 一博

Member of the House of Representatives
BANRI KAIEDA

Member of the House of Representatives
KAZUHIRO HARAGUCHI

Andy Levin
Member of Congress

Gwen Moore
Member of Congress

Veronica Escobar
Member of Congress

Sylvia R. Garcia
Member of Congress

衆議院議員 中川 正春
Member of the House of Representatives
MASAHARU NAKAGAWA

衆議院議員

近藤昭一

Member of the House of Representatives
SHOICHI KONDO

衆議院議員

泉健太

Member of the House of Representatives
KENTA IZUMI

衆議院議員

逢坂誠二

Member of the House of Representatives
SEIJI OSAKAChellie Pingree
Member of Congress

参議院議員 徳永 エリ

Deborah K. Ross
Member of Congress

参議院議員

Rashida Tlaib
Member of Congress

Member of the House of Councillors
ERI TOKUNAGA

吉田忠智

Member of the House of Councillors
TADATOMO YOSHIDA

衆議院議員

重徳

和彦

Member of the House of Representatives
KAZUHIKO SHIGETOKUPramila Jayapal
Member of Congress

参議員議員/s/André Carson
Member of Congress

阿部知子

Member of the House of Representatives
TOMOKO ABE

参議院議員

Steve Cohen
Member of Congress

通宏

MICHIHIRO ISHIBASHI

衆議院議員

Jamie Raskin
Member of Congress

石橋

Member of the House of Councillors

福島みずほ

Member of the House of Councillors
MIZUHO FUKUSHIMA

衆議院議員

小熊慎司

Member of the House of Representatives
SHINJI OGUMAJan Schakowsky
Member of Congress

衆議院議員 源馬 謙太郎
Member of the House of Representatives
KENTARO GENMA

参議院議員

森屋隆

Member of the House of Councillors
TAKASHI MORIYA

衆議院議員

荒井優

Member of the House of Representatives
YUTAKA ARAI

衆議院議員

大石あきこ

Member of the House of Representatives
AKIKO OHISHI

衆議院議員

岡本あき子

Member of the House of Representatives
AKIKO OKAMOTO

衆議院議員

小山展弘

Member of the House of Representatives
NOBUHIRO KOYAMA衆議院議員 斎藤 アレックス
Member of the House of RepresentativesALEX SAITO

衆議院議員桜井周Member of the House of Representatives
SHU SAKURAI衆議院議員 階猛

Member of the House of Representatives
TAKESHI SHINA衆議院議員 田島 要
Member of the House of Representatives
KANAME TAJIMA衆議院議員 徳永 久志
Member of the House of Representatives
HISASHI TOKUNAGA

衆議院議員 ⻑友 慎治
Member of the
衆議院議員
道下House大樹of Representatives
SHINJINAGATOMO
Member of the House of Representatives
DAIKI MICHISHITA

衆議院議員

野間健

Member of the House of Representatives
TAKESHI NOMA衆議院議員 福島 伸享
Member of the House of Representatives
NOBUYUKI FUKUSHIMA

衆議院議員

森山浩行

Member of the House of Representatives
HIROYUKI MORIYAMA

衆議院議員

谷田川元

Member of the House of Representatives
HAJIME YATAGAWA

衆議院議員

山岸一生

Member of the House of Representatives
ISSEI YAMAGISHI

衆議院議員 山崎 誠
Member of the House of Representatives
MAKOTO YAMAZAKI

衆議院議員 山田 勝彦
Member of the House of Representatives
KATSUHIKO YAMADA

衆議院議員

吉田はるみ

Member of the House of Representatives
HARUMI YOSHIDA

衆議院議員 米山 隆一
Member of the House of Representatives
RYUICHI YONEYAMA

参議院議員

石垣のりこ

Member of the House of Councillors
NORIKO ISHIGAKI参議院議員石川大我

Member of the House of Councillors
TAIGA ISHIKAWA

参議院議員

伊波洋一

Member of the House of Councillors
YOICHI IHA

参議院議員

打越さく良

Member of the House of Councillors
SAKURA UCHIKOSHI

参議院議員

杉尾秀哉

Member of the House of Councillors
HIDEYA SUGIO

参議院議員 高良 鉄美Member of the House of Councillors
TETSUMI TAKARA

参議院議員

芳賀道也

Member of the House of Councillors
MICHIYA HAGA

参議院議員

水岡俊一

Member of the House of Councillors
SHUNICHI MIZUOKA