Minato Ward, Tokyo - Falsification of industrial waste documents - July 2001

Minato Ward, Tokyo - Falsification of industrial waste documents - July 2001

A major waste disposal company based in Minato Ward, Tokyo, has been found to have falsified at least 58 contracts and treatment plans related to industrial waste disposal. The documents mainly related to the disposal of construction waste materials, waste plastics, and hazardous waste containing PCBs, which should have been disposed of at appropriate treatment facilities. However, it has been confirmed that the contractor, in order to reduce disposal costs, improperly processed the waste and illegally dumped some of it in a mountain forest in Ome City.

Furthermore, an investigation by the Tokyo Metropolitan Government's Bureau of Environment revealed that of the approximately 5,000 tons of waste treated by the company between 2000 and 2001, approximately 20% was the subject of false reports. Some of this waste contained PCB concentrations far exceeding legal standards, raising concerns about environmental contamination. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government has issued a two-year business suspension order to the contractor and is demanding more than 300 million yen in cleanup costs for the illegally dumped land. Other companies involved are also suspected of complicity in the illegal disposal, and investigations are currently underway.

In response to this incident, the Tokyo Metropolitan Government is considering the introduction of a real-time monitoring system to strengthen the monitoring system for industrial waste processing. In addition, the digitization of contracts and treatment reports and mandatory third-party audits are being discussed in order to restore confidence in the industry as a whole. This issue has brought the dark side of the waste treatment industry to light and has become a case that has attracted public attention.