More than 8,700 pages of documents recently obtained under the U.S. Freedom of Information Act reveal serious contamination at Kadena Air Base, the largest U.S. Air Force installation in Asia.

Last week, The Japan Times on Sunday reported about asbestos, lead and the impact of pollution on local water supplies. We also explored the shortcomings of current environmental regulations.

This week, we investigate how past disposal of hazardous waste, including polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and dioxin, continues to threaten the health of American and Japanese residents, as well as the economic future of Okinawa.