The Shadow of Groundwater: The Tokorozawa Disaster Prevention Well Contamination Incident and Environmental Anxiety in the 1990s

The Shadow of Groundwater: The Tokorozawa Disaster Prevention Well Contamination Incident and Environmental Anxiety in the 1990s

In the late 1990s, Japanese society was facing new concerns about the living environment and health against the backdrop of the stagnation that followed the collapse of the bubble economy. Following the pollution of the period of rapid economic growth, the dangers of chemical substances such as dioxin and environmental hormones spread to the public, and "water safety" directly related to daily life became a particularly sensitive topic.

The case of contamination of disaster prevention wells uncovered in Tokorozawa City, Saitama Prefecture, is a symbolic example of this era. Chloroethylene, a known carcinogen, was detected in a well that was supposed to support the lives of residents in the event of a disaster. Groundwater contamination originating from former factory sites and industrial waste posed a fundamental question to people living in urban and suburban areas: "Can we drink water with peace of mind? The contradiction of disaster prevention infrastructure becoming a source of anxiety came as a strong shock to the residents.

At this time, the Environment Agency was in the process of introducing the PRTR (Pollutant Release and Transfer Register) system, and a mechanism to require businesses to report their emissions of chemical substances was under discussion. The Tokorozawa case provided on-the-spot evidence to support the need for such tighter regulations. In addition, groundwater purification techniques such as activated carbon adsorption, air sparging (air injection), and soil washing were being considered, and research was underway to improve the effectiveness of the purification process.

At the same time, the "dioxin scare" was spreading nationwide, and health hazards around waste incineration plants were becoming a social problem. The groundwater contamination in Tokorozawa was taken up in the midst of this chain of chemical risks, prompting citizens' movements and local governments to strengthen their countermeasures. The reality of the threat to the local environment, which is closely linked to daily life, encouraged the institutionalization of environmental administration and reaffirmed for citizens that environmental issues are inseparable from their daily lives.