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 incident involving the illegal dumping of more than 5,000 waste tires was uncovered in Tajimi City, Gifu Prefecture. The tires, piled up in a mountainous area, reached 5 meters high and 20 meters wide. The reason was that the contractor failed to properly dispose of the tires in order to save disposal costs. In November of the same year, a fire broke out, spreading black smoke over the area and releasing dioxins. More than 100 people participated in firefighting activities, and approximately 5,000 tons of water was used, but there were concerns about groundwater contamination. After the incident, Gifu Prefecture imposed a fine of 30 million yen, and Tajimi City invested 80 million yen to restore the environment. The incident prompted a review of the waste disposal system and led to the strengthening of the monitoring system and revision of the law.