Hadano shaken by "urban incinerator"--April 1995
In 1995, Hadano City in Kanagawa Prefecture was contemplating the construction of a new waste incinerator in response to the city's rapidly growing population and tight waste disposal schedule. The city introduced cutting-edge incineration technology as part of its "clean center concept" and appealed to the public for its environmental friendliness, but residents living near the proposed site strongly opposed the idea. Concerns about health hazards, declining land prices, and the fate of the incinerator ash covered the entire community, as well as concerns directly related to their daily lives. At the time, the dangers of dioxin were being closely examined nationwide, and residents were becoming increasingly environmentally conscious, especially in the suburbs of urban areas. In Hadano City, too, the traditional administrative-led explanation failed to convince the residents, and the city council and the council were divided in their opinions, making it a challenge to rebuild
a relationship of trust with the residents. The shift in administrative attitude from persuasion to dialogue is a response to the current trend, and is a symbolic example of how urban environmental policies should be implemented.
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