Illegal dumping of waste tires - Tajimi City, Gifu Prefecture - October 2001

Illegal dumping of waste tires - Tajimi City, Gifu Prefecture - October 2001

In 2001, an illegal tire dumping case in Tajimi City, Gifu Prefecture, revealed that a disposal company had illegally dumped more than 5,000 waste tires in a mountainous area of the city. The location was a forested area about 5 km from the city center, and was camouflaged to keep it inconspicuous, but the problem surfaced when a neighbor reported the incident.

The pile of waste tires was approximately 5 meters high and 20 meters wide, covering approximately 1,000 square meters, and had a serious impact on the local environment. The waste tire companies had been ignoring the provisions of the Waste Disposal and Public Cleansing Law, and had been avoiding proper disposal in order to reduce disposal costs. The average disposal cost per tire is estimated to be 500 yen, and it is estimated that the total amount of improper disposal was equivalent to approximately 25 million yen.

To make matters worse, in November 2001, a fire broke out in this pile of scrap tires. The fire spread due to strong winds and burned for approximately three days. The black smoke polluted the surrounding air, and nearby residents raised concerns about health hazards. Dioxins, toxic substances produced when tires burn, were released into the air, further increasing the environmental impact.

A total of more than 100 firefighters from the Tajimi City Fire Department and other nearby fire departments were deployed to extinguish the fire, and approximately 5,000 tons of water was used to put out the fire. This large volume of water seeped into the soil, raising concerns about groundwater contamination.

After the incident, Gifu Prefecture demanded a fine of 30 million yen from the company that illegally disposed of the waste tires. In addition, in order to restore the environment in this area, Tajimi City removed the tires and improved the soil, and allocated a budget of approximately 80 million yen. Furthermore, in response to this incident, Gifu Prefecture strengthened its monitoring system for waste disposal companies and established a system to conduct periodic on-site inspections.

This incident is considered a typical example of the problems associated with waste disposal in Japan, and highlights the importance of legal reform and community-based monitoring systems to prevent similar incidents. It served as an opportunity to reaffirm the need for companies, local governments, and citizens to work together to protect the environment.