Effort underway to remove oil from sunken WWII ships in Micronesia's Chuuk Lagoon

The US State Department has confirmed that work is ongoing to remove oil that had been leaking from sunken World War II-era ships in Chuuk Lagoon in the Federated States of Micronesia (FSM).

US Deputy Secretary of State Kurt Campbell and Japanese Parliamentary Vice-Minister for Foreign Affairs Komura Masahiro said in a joint statement that both the US and Japan are looking forward to working further to explore the possibility of a joint collaboration in the cleanup effort.

Both countries are working in close consultation with the Chuuk State government and the FSM government on the initiative. Among other things, the operation will ensure the safety of Chuuk Lagoon for tourism activities such as wreck diving.

Historians claim that, of the estimated 3,800 ships that were sunk in the Pacific Ocean during World War II, majority can be found in Chuuk Lagoon, making it one of the largest reported ship graveyards in the world.

The lagoon, then known as Truk, was once the site of a vital naval base that was in operation during the Japanese occupation of Micronesia. The base became a target of a two-day campaign of bombing raids by US Navy carrier-based aircraft in February 1944, which resulted in the sinking of 44 Japanese naval and merchant vessels.

The sunken Japanese ships have since lain undisturbed at the bottom of the lagoon. FSM officials said the wrecks have been leaking oil into the lagoon for years and that some of the vessels may even have unexploded ordnance on board.