"We are carrying out preparations on the site. It depends, in particular, on the weather, but we want to resume work as soon as possible," Iwaya told reporters.
In August, the Okinawa authorities decided to revoke the permit to carry out a landfill reclamation project off the city of Nago for the relocation of a US military base to the area.
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In turn, Transport and Tourism Minister Keiichi Ishii said on Tuesday that he rejected this decision of the Okinawa authorities at the request of the Defense Ministry.
"Based on the analysis of documents submitted by the Defense Ministry and the authorities of Okinawa Prefecture, it was decided to suspend the withdrawal of permission," Ishii stated.
The work on dumping soil off Nago for the relocation of the US Marine Corps Air Station Futenma, currently located in Ginowan city, started in mid-2017. Okinawa residents had protested against the deployment of US troops and equipment in the area, citing abuses by US personnel and various accidents during military training.