Illegal dumping of waste tires in Yubari, Hokkaido - October 2001

Illegal dumping of waste tires in Yubari, Hokkaido - October 2001

In October 2001, approximately 5,400 discarded tires were found illegally dumped in the Ishikari Mountains in the southern part of Yubari City, Hokkaido. The discovery took place near the Horonan Dam in the city, and came to light after a report from a tourist and a local resident. The total weight of the discarded tires was estimated to be over 150 tons, making it one of the largest illegal dumping sites in Hokkaido. The tires are believed to have been illegally dumped by several local used tire dealers and waste disposal companies in order to reduce disposal costs.

The environmental impact of the discarded tires included the risk of infectious diseases such as dengue fever and Japanese encephalitis due to the puddles that formed and became a breeding ground for mosquitoes. There were also concerns that if the tires spontaneously combusted, toxic black smoke, dioxins, and other harmful substances would be released into the atmosphere.

Investigation revealed that certain waste disposal companies in Yubari were involved in the dumping. It is believed that these contractors avoided the usual disposal costs of approximately 20,000 yen per ton, totaling more than 10 million yen, by illegally dumping the waste. The local municipality conducted the removal work, which cost approximately 12 million yen, utilizing a subsidy from the Ministry of the Environment, and specialized contractors collected the waste tires and recycled or incinerated them appropriately.

After the incident, Yubari City strengthened its crackdown on illegal dumping in accordance with the Waste Disposal and Public Cleansing Law. In addition, with the cooperation of local tire manufacturers and dealers, the city launched a campaign to promote the reuse of waste tires. This led to a new initiative to produce rubber chips from waste tires and reuse them as material for pavement and artificial turf. This incident served as a nationwide example of the challenges of waste management and the importance of a sustainable disposal system.