Contamination on Camp Kinser, Okinawa

To Whom It May Concern:

This is a request under the Freedom of Information Act. I hereby request the following records:

All files, records, reports, memos, talking papers, "game plans" and summary papers regarding chemical, biological and radiological contamination on Camp Kinser, Okinawa.

I am making this request as a representative of the media. I have written extensively about the US military presence on Okinawa - these articles have been published by The Japan Times and Asia-Pacific Journal. In addition, this research has been published in Asahi Shimbun, Ryukyu Shimpo and Okinawa Times. These articles have been the focus of intense public debate.

I refer to the above articles in support that my request receive expedited processing. There is “urgency to inform the public concerning actual or alleged Federal Government activity.” 5 U.S.C. § 552. I believe there is widespread and exceptional media interest in which there exist possible questions about the government’s integrity affecting public confidence.

Thank you in advance for your anticipated cooperation in this matter. I look forward to receiving your response to this request within 20 business days, as the statute requires.

Sincerely,

Jon Mitchell

Dear CDR Don Nordstrom,

Many thanks for your quick response on this important issue.

As you state in your reply, "this request is in the area of responsibility under U.S. Pacific Command", therefore I am asking that your office continue to process my request,

I look forward to hearing from you soon,

Mitchell

To Whom It May Concern:

I wanted to follow up on the following Freedom of Information request, copied below, and originally submitted on July 15, 2015. Please let me know when I can expect to receive a response, or if further clarification is needed.

Thanks for your help, and let me know if further clarification is needed.

Judge Advocate General
ATTN: FOIA Appeal
1322 Patterson Avenue SE, Suite 3000
Washington Navy Yard, DC 20374-5066

Dear Administrator,

This is an appeal under the Freedom of Information Act, 5 U.S.C. § 552.

On July 15 2015, I made a FOIA request to your agency for:
All files, records, reports, memos, talking papers, "game plans" and summary papers regarding chemical, biological and radiological contamination at Camp Kinser, Okinawa.

On October 25 2015, your agency provided me with a single document titled “Radioactive Materials Identification and Immediate Response” (June 11 2012).

Here it is clear that your agency has failed to fulfill its obligation in searching diligently for all the documents requested.

There are numerous contamination reports related to Camp Kinser. For example:
- “Talking Paper on Possible Toxic Contamination at Camp Kinser” (USFJ, 30 July 1993)
- HazMat incident at Camp Kinser warehouse (April 2009)
- email from USMC Media Relations Chief, Tiffany Carter to Jon Mitchell, that “Repeated surveys dating back to the 1970s have all demonstrated that levels of contamination pose no immediate health hazard.” (October 2015)

Please note that my initial request asked for all records related to “chemical, biological and radiological contamination” at Camp Kinser - which includes environmental surveys conducted within the installation. If your office has no such records then this suggests that no surveys have ever been conducted at Camp Kinser.

If materials responsive to my request exist as a subset of a larger dataset, provision of that information would be appreciated. Given the U.S. military’s thorough cataloging of such incidents, it is improbable that no records containing information related to contamination exist.

I trust that upon re-consideration, you will re-investigate my request. However, if you deny this appeal, I intend to initiate a lawsuit to compel disclosure.

As I have made this request in the capacity of a journalist and this information is of timely value, I would appreciate your expediting the consideration of my appeal in every way possible. In any case, I will expect to receive your decision within 20 business days, as required by the statute.

Thank you for your assistance,

Jon Mitchell

Dear Administrator,

It has now been a month since I filed my appeal with your agency but you have failed to acknowledge receipt of that appeal.

Mitchell

To Whom It May Concern:

No materials regarding this request have yet been received. Please confirm the address to which they were sent. For this particular request, the appropriate address would be:

MuckRock News
DEPT MR 19731
P.O. Box 55819
Boston, MA 02205

If confusion remains, renewed provision of the materials, including the associated cover letter, would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you very much for your help.