Illegal Waste Dumping in the 2020s - Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture and Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture - 2023
In the 2020s, the problem of illegal waste dumping remains serious. In particular, illegal dumping of industrial waste continues in Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture, and around Morioka City, Iwate Prefecture. In Ishinomaki City, plastics and construction waste continue to be the main problem, with approximately 4,500 tons of waste confirmed to be illegally disposed of annually in 2022. Furthermore, dumping of waste materials containing asbestos is on the rise, increasing the risk of health hazards to nearby residents and soil and groundwater contamination.
In Morioka City, there have been a number of cases of demolition companies illegally disposing of construction waste containing hazardous substances. In particular, waste containing PCBs and dioxins has been improperly disposed of, and in 2021 it was revealed that approximately 3,000 tons of waste had been illegally dumped. This has led to concerns about the release of toxic substances into the region's rivers and oceans, which has had a negative impact on the fishing industry and agriculture.
Also in Miyagi Prefecture, a construction company (anonymous) and a waste disposal company (anonymous) were found to be illegally dumping waste in order to cut costs. These companies are reportedly dumping waste without a permit for the purpose of reducing the cost of waste disposal, with fines totaling more than 200 million yen in 2023.
The government and local governments have set a goal of increasing the recycling rate of industrial waste to 70% by 2025 by strengthening monitoring to prevent illegal dumping. In addition, the introduction of waste tracking systems and the installation of surveillance cameras are strengthening the detection of illegal dumpers, and stricter penalties are being imposed.
No comments:
Post a Comment