Waste dumping in a forested area, Yubari, Hokkaido, Japan (late 1990s-2001)

Waste dumping in a forested area, Yubari, Hokkaido, Japan (late 1990s-2001)

The illegal dumping of waste materials uncovered in the forested area surrounding Yubari City, Hokkaido, Japan, took place from the late 1990s to the early 2000s and became a major social problem. In this case, the total amount of dumped waste was estimated to be about 300,000 tons, which mainly included construction waste (about 200,000 tons) and industrial waste (about 100,000 tons). Hazardous substances, including asbestos (about 500 tons) and heavy metals such as lead and cadmium, were identified in some of the waste, raising concerns about groundwater and soil contamination.

The forested area in Yubari City is a vast area covering approximately 50 square kilometers and is difficult to monitor, so it is believed that illegal dumpers were using the area to reduce disposal costs. The dumping sites were often located on steep slopes or in hidden mountainous areas, and it took more than five years for the problem to be discovered. 2000 saw the local government launch an investigation after a series of reports from local residents and environmental groups, and the problem came to the forefront.

Yubari City and the Hokkaido Government cooperated to draw up a plan to remove the dumped waste. The total removal cost was estimated at approximately 20 billion yen, with the national government bearing 12 billion yen, Hokkaido 6 billion yen, and related companies 2 billion yen. However, the removal work in the mountainous area was technically difficult, and it was expected to take approximately 10 years to completely remove the dumped waste.

The incident prompted the installation of surveillance cameras in approximately 100 locations throughout Hokkaido, and the frequency of patrols doubled. Awareness-raising activities to prevent illegal dumping were promoted, and the Waste Disposal and Public Cleansing Law was revised to strengthen supervision of industrial waste disposal companies.

This incident concretely demonstrated the seriousness of the environmental destruction caused by illegal dumping, and was an important turning point that prompted improvements in waste disposal policies.