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Fishermen to claim ¥93 mil in damages over dumping of fuel in lake by U.S. jet

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More than 180 members of a fisheries cooperative in Aomori Prefecture will seek a total of 93.23 million yen for suspension of their clam and other seafood fishing operations in a local lake for about a month following the Feb. 20 incident, according to the Tohoku Defense Bureau.

While the fishermen do deserve compensation, I hope the governments don't just hand it over blindly. If there was any fuel leaked into lake, the US should pay to have it cleaned up, as well.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Obviously the Fish Association received the wrong education about jet fuel and its causes. Jet fuel evaporates quickly within atmospheric conditions and in water tends to break down, unlike gasoline or diesel.  Doubtful they even spend or make that much over a month period unless the clams are lined with gold in their shells. Sorry but not buying this ridiculous claim and hopefully the US doesn't cower down like the have been doing lately same goes for the TDB. They should get some kind of compensation but not this amount.

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

.......for suspension of their clam and other seafood fishing operations in a local lake......

Seafood? Lake? Is it a salt water lake?

9 ( +10 / -1 )

not nearly enough, they should also demand imprisonment of all involved

Wrong. USA military are here to protect Japanese lives. They risk their life to keep Japanese people safe from threats from many nations. Threat of prison is unfair. This incident was an accident, fisherman will be paid for damages and case is closed. Don't be so dramatic.

4 ( +10 / -6 )

re: Eing: really, but yet no sees you in uniform supporting anyone otherwise you wouldn't be nor have a right to post. Be grateful that those who served to defend the freedom of press, US Constitution, Japan Constitution a strong alliance who have given you that right.  Best to get your facts in check before making enemies and alliances with the wrong groups.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

Seafood? Lake? Is it a salt water lake?

Freshwater mussels & shrimps perhaps?

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Do the math, works out to about Y500,000 per fisherman, just pay them, they weren't allowed to work a month so they could check & make sure it was safe!

Yes aviation fuel evaporates, but the pilots mistake was NOT jettisoning their fuel into the big ole ocean which  was RIGHT THERE, they picked the lake, not the end of the world but certainly an expensive DOH moment!

3 ( +4 / -1 )

@GW, the flight path was over the lake, not the ocean. The pilots swift actions (not mistake) most certainly prevented loss of property and possible lives on the ground, plus he saved the aircraft. F16s are single engine aircraft and when the engine fails there is no back up. The main product the fishermen harvest from Lake Ogawara are brine clams (Shijimi). The USAF and local authorities painstakingly cleaned up the spill. My family eats clams from the lake every year, and this year the clams were especially delicious.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Then you know the ocean is RIGHT THERE, again an expensive mistake

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Jet fuel evaporates quickly within atmospheric conditions and in water tends to break down, unlike gasoline or diesel.

No, for your information, jet fuel of the type an F16 uses (probably JP8) is a refined and a bit thinner version of Diesel. It does not evaporate, it is not decomposed by UV radiation, and it will contaminate water. In a war operation EVERYTHING runs on JP8, including the Humvees, trucks, and the planes. Dumping it in those people's water was not nice, but better than dumping it on some village...

2 ( +2 / -0 )

GW

In an inflight emergency, especially one as serious as an engine fire in a single seater, the pilot's priority was to land as soon as possible. The only diversion from flying a direct line to the airfield allowed would have been to avoid a populated area if it became clear he was going to crash before reaching the runway. Flying an indirect flightpath to drop the tanks at a more favorable location like the ocean was against the pilot's emergency procedures and would have posed a greater risk to public safety than the inconvenience, albeit a significant one, to these fishermen and their livelihood.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

A Viper drivers critical action procedures upon flame out are to immediately climb and jettison the stores. Attempting to find the ocean may not have been possible.

It's hard to say who should or shouldn't be affected by the fuel in the water. It is the military's responsibility to truly investigate the impact and make it right. Our servicemen have been under fire for quite sometime for our bases in Japan for various reasons. The Japanese people want us out of there... plain and simple. I enjoyed my time over there and hate to see things like this cause more tension.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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