Ishikari City, Hokkaido - Ocean Dumping of Waste - July 2001
Approximately 312 tons of waste was found to have been illegally dumped at sea in Ishikari Bay, Ishikari City, Hokkaido. About 50 tons of the waste contained lead and cadmium. Cadmium and lead were detected at levels 1.8 and 2.1 times the standard values, respectively. As a result, the local fishermen's association was concerned about the risk of contamination of clams and crabs. It was discovered that a logistics company in Sapporo was involved and had been illegally dumping the waste repeatedly in order to cut costs. Ishikari City and the Hokkaido Government have allocated approximately 80 million yen to remove the waste and are in the process of installing surveillance cameras and water quality sensors. Those involved are expected to be fined 52 million yen and imprisoned for three years. This incident has once again highlighted the need to prevent recurrence.
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