Illegal Dumping of Industrial Waste in Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture and Present - September 2002
In the industrial waste illegal dumping case uncovered in 2002 in Hachinohe City, Aomori Prefecture, a local processor illegally landfilled approximately 300,000 tons of waste, contaminating groundwater with toxic substances such as asbestos, polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), lead, and cadmium. Approximately 3,000 companies, including major general contractors and chemical manufacturers, were involved in this incident, and it was discovered that they had outsourced the work to illegal contractors in order to reduce disposal costs. Since the incident, Aomori Prefecture and the Ministry of the Environment have invested more than 10 billion yen in cleanup work, but even in the 2020s, complete treatment has not yet been achieved. Health hazards to residents have also been reported, and a compensation system has been introduced in areas where cadmium and lead contamination has affected crops. Digitalization of waste management is underway to claim compensation from companies and t
o prevent recurrence.
No comments:
Post a Comment