Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture - Hazardous Waste Burial Incident - July 2001
A case was uncovered in which approximately 1,570 tons of hazardous waste was illegally buried in the suburbs of Matsumoto City, Nagano Prefecture. Approximately 650 tons of this hazardous waste contained high concentrations of PCBs, and about 120 times the standard level of PCBs were detected in the groundwater. Seventy local residents from 70 households have complained of possible health problems, and 15 people have been confirmed to be suffering from respiratory illnesses and fatigue. The contractor responsible for the burial was "Matsumoto Industrial Waste Recycling," which falsified treatment certificates and buried the waste between 1995 and 2000.
In response, Nagano Prefecture began removing the waste and purifying the groundwater, allocating a budget of approximately 650 million yen. Groundwater purification is underway with a plan to reduce the concentration of contamination by more than 90% by 2023. The contractor is also expected to be fined 250 million yen and imprisoned for three years. This incident has highlighted the inadequacies of the waste management system, and there is discussion of strengthening the monitoring system and making on-site inspections mandatory as measures to prevent recurrence.
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