The Japanese government is arranging to approve a modified plan for landfill work to relocate a key U.S. base within Okinawa next week bypassing the local government, which seems poised to defy a court order mandating the approval, sources with knowledge of the matter said Saturday.
Land minister Tetsuo Saito is poised to make approval by proxy for the plan on Thursday in what will be the first such move by the central government on behalf of a local government, central government sources said.
The Fukuoka High Court's Naha branch said Wednesday that Okinawa Gov. Denny Tamaki needs to approve the plan by Monday, as a refusal to approve the project constitutes a violation of the law, and it would be difficult to rectify the situation other than through approval by proxy.
The Okinawa government is in the final stages of deliberation to withhold approval for the plan beyond the deadline, with a formal decision expected on Monday, according to prefectural government sources.
The modifications involve reinforcing soft ground at the coastal Henoko area in Nago, the relocation site for U.S. Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, now located in densely-populated Ginowan.
If the Okinawa government does not approve the plan, Saito can approve it in place of Tamaki after informing the governor under the Local Autonomy Act.
The Okinawa Defense Bureau of the Defense Ministry plans to begin construction on the Oura Bay side of the site, which has soft ground, in mid-January.
The local government is considering appealing to the Supreme Court, which it must do by Wednesday, although it cannot halt work at the site unless the top court overturns the lower court's ruling.
If the ruling is overturned, Tamaki will have three months to rescind the approval.
Rejecting the plan was one of Tamaki's campaign promises when he ran for reelection last year amid strong opposition among the local population, which wants the base moved out of Okinawa entirely.
Related coverage:
Court orders Okinawa governor to approve work to relocate key U.S. base
Land minister sues Okinawa gov. over U.S. base landfill plan
Okinawa rejects central gov't order over U.S. base landfill work
