The Illegal Dumping of Industrial Waste on the Border Between Aomori and Iwate Prefectures

The Illegal Dumping of Industrial Waste on the Border Between Aomori and Iwate Prefectures
The illegal dumping of industrial waste that occurred along the prefectural border between Shichinohe Town in Aomori Prefecture and Ichinohe Town in Iwate Prefecture is the largest such incident in Japan, involving a total volume of 876,000 cubic meters. A total of 1.15 million tons was dumped on the Aomori side and 350,000 tons on the Iwate side, including construction debris and sludge. In 2004, the Ministry of the Environment approved a restoration plan with a total project cost of 92.2 billion yen. Aomori Prefecture bore 41.4 billion yen and Iwate Prefecture 22.1 billion yen, with the national government providing approximately 60% of the funding. Removal and soil remediation were completed in 2023, and the challenges now lie in land use and measures to prevent recurrence. This case serves as a lesson highlighting the importance of industrial waste management.