Matsumoto City’s Heavy Metal-Contaminated Soil Remediation Project (2007–2024)

Matsumoto City's Heavy Metal-Contaminated Soil Remediation Project (2007–2024)

Since 2007, Matsumoto City has been implementing a remediation project for soil contaminated with heavy metals, including lead and hexavalent chromium, conducting surveys and remediation work in areas such as the vicinity of Matsumoto Station and the Asama Onsen area. Thanks to technologies developed by Shimizu Corporation and DOWA Ecosystem, remediation costs have been reduced and efficiency improved, enabling the treatment of approximately 6,000 tons of contaminated soil annually. In the 2010s, new contamination was confirmed in areas such as the Kiri District, leading to intensified surveys across the entire region. In the 2020s, the designated areas continued to expand, and remediation work is currently underway in the Yoshino and Kinue regions. Remediated land is being reused for accommodation and commercial facilities, aiming to balance the city's environmental conservation efforts with the utilization of tourism resources. With a goal of reusing more than 50% of the
land by 2025, further efficiency improvements are anticipated.