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<\/p>\n\n Waste Incinerator in Atsugi, Japan<\/p>\n
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From 1985 to 2001, personnel at Naval Air Facility (NAF) Atsugi in Atsugi, Japan may have been exposed to environmental contaminants from off-base waste incinerators. The Shinkampo Incinerator Complex (SIC) was a combustion waste disposal equipped with incinerators that burned up to 90 tons of industrial and medical waste daily. Emissions included chemicals and other particulate matter<\/a>.<\/p>\n A private Japanese company owned and operated the business. The U.S. Navy found a potential for increased health risks and worked with the Japanese government to close the SIC. The incinerator was shut down in May 2001.<\/p>\n If you are concerned about exposures at Atsugi, talk to your health care provider or local VA Environmental Health Coordinator<\/a>.<\/p>\n Health effects from pollution at Atsugi<\/p>\n Short-term health effects could include irritation to the eyes, nose and throat, skin rashes, and sinus problems. These conditions usually went away after the exposure ended.<\/p>\n Since the 1990s, the Navy has informed sailors and their families about the possible long-term health effects of living at Atsugi. In 2009, the Navy and Marine Corps Public Health Center completed a study<\/a> demonstrating no increased risk for cancer among NAF Atsugi residents compared to residents living at Yokosuka Naval Base, Japan, after 15 years of follow-up. The study showed significantly higher dermal (skin) complaints among the Atsugi residents both while they were in Japan and after they left, suggesting the possibility of long-term dermal effects.<\/p>\n Health concerns?<\/p>\n If you are concerned about exposure to environmental contaminants during service at NAF Atsugi, talk to your health care provider or contact your local VA Environmental Health Coordinator<\/a>\u00a0to help you get more information from a health care provider.<\/p>\n VA offers a variety of health care benefits<\/a> to eligible Veterans. Not enrolled in the VA health care system? Find out if you qualify for VA health care<\/a>.<\/p>\n Compensation benefits for health problems<\/p>\n Veterans may file a claim for disability compensation for health problems they believe are related to exposure to environmental contaminants during service at NAF Atsugi. VA decides these claims on a case-by-case basis. File a claim online<\/a>.<\/p>\n