Housing disagreement may delay transfer to Guam - Marine Corps News, news from Iraq - Marine Corps Times

Housing disagreement may delay transfer to Guam

WASHINGTON — The planned transfer of Marines from Okinawa to Guam appears likely to be delayed because of differences over a housing construction project for U.S. personnel and their families, sources close to Japan-U.S. relations said Saturday.

Washington and Tokyo have seen the plan to house relocated Marines fall more than six months behind schedule, threatening to delay the transfer of Marines scheduled to be completed by the end of 2014 as agreed on between both governments.

The deadlock in the talks to relocate Marines to Guam is feared to affect the planned transfer of the U.S. Marine Corps Futemma Air Station’s heliport functions from Ginowan to Nago, both in Okinawa, because the two elements are closely tied under the bilateral agreement.

The process of selecting a contractor for the project to transfer Marines from Okinawa to Guam has been affected by a gap between both sides stemming from differences over interpretations of their agreement, including quality standards of houses, the sources said.

At one point during the past rounds of talks, the U.S. side proposed using part of the expenses Japan is to shoulder for the relocation project for the purpose of helping to improve military facilities that are not directly linked to Okinawa-based Marines, they said.

The impasse will most likely delay bids by potential contractors, the sources said, noting that it normally takes about one-and-a-half years before the winning bidder is selected and three to four years before housing construction of that size can be completed.

One of the sources said a delay of the construction project beyond 2014 appears to have become a “tacit understanding” of both Japanese and U.S. officials.

Under the May 2006 agreement, Japan is to shoulder up to $6.09 billion of the $10.27 billion relocation cost mainly to build houses and improve infrastructure.