Offered the option of living off-base, most choose to stay on base despite the pollution problem, Graybeal said. Rarely is there anywhere in the neighborhood for kids to play. They've got to commute here to school. So for a number of those reasons, people find it more convenient to live here on base. The Navy provides air-filtering equipment to help combat the pollution.
Parents keep their children indoors when the wind is blowing the plume on base.
Parents also worry about the long-term effects of living at Atsugi on their children. People who live in the government quarters about 250 meters from the plant say they experience headaches, breathing problems, skin rashes, nausea, and eye, nose and throat irritation. Navy health officials are in the process of doing a comprehensive health assessment.