Japan inspects US air base over chemical spill

Japanese authorities on Friday staged an inspection of a US military base in Tokyo, a government spokesman said, after being informed by the American side of a chemical leak.

Japan’s probe at the Yokota Air Base followed a US notice two months ago that water containing PFOS — classified by the World Health Organisation as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” — had spilled from the site.

PFOS is part of a large group of man-made chemicals known as PFAS, sometimes called “forever chemicals” because they do not degrade easily...