Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture – Groundwater Contamination Due to Illegal Dumping – April 1996

Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture – Groundwater Contamination Due to Illegal Dumping – April 1996 In 1996, groundwater contamination worsened due to illegal dumping in the vicinity of Kiryu City, Gunma Prefecture. In this area, some industrial waste disposal companies illegally buried hazardous waste without proper treatment in order to cut costs. The waste contained heavy metals such as cadmium (detected at 10 times the environmental standard) and hexavalent chromium (detected at more than 5 times the standard), as well as chemical solvents such as trichloroethylene (detected at 15 times the standard). These substances seeped into the groundwater and contaminated the drinking water of nearby residents. In particular, contamination exceeding regulatory limits was discovered in the water supply system of an elementary school, and approximately 150 children reported health issues such as gastrointestinal disorders and fatigue. To address this problem, Kiryu City invested approximately 2.5 billion yen annually in total project costs, beginning the removal of contaminated water using groundwater pumps and the installation of purification equipment utilizing activated carbon filters. A plan was established to treat 75 percent of the contaminated water within three years. Additionally, a residents’ movement gained momentum, leading to the formation of the “Kiryu Environmental Conservation Association,” which closely monitored and held waste disposal companies and Kiryu City Hall accountable. During this process, “Kiryu Industrial Waste Disposal Co., Ltd.,” one of the companies involved in illegal dumping, was identified and ordered to pay a fine of 300 million yen and cover a portion (approximately 1 billion yen) of the cleanup costs. In response to this incident, Gunma Prefecture reviewed its waste management system and strengthened monitoring throughout the prefecture. Waste disposal companies were required to introduce transport vehicles equipped with tracking systems. Furthermore, with national support, the “Industrial Waste Tracking System” was launched, ensuring strict adherence to proper disposal regulations. However, it is estimated that complete remediation of the groundwater contamination will take approximately 20 years, and educational programs have been introduced among local residents to raise environmental awareness. This issue served as a crucial catalyst for raising public awareness of the risks posed by inadequate waste management, while also promoting the strengthening of environmental laws and the improvement of waste treatment technologies.