Brownfields and Inappropriate Land Use – November 2007

Brownfields and Inappropriate Land Use – November 2007 Soil contamination is worsening at the site of the former Tokyo Gas factory in Toyosu, Koto Ward, Tokyo. Benzene concentrations exceeding 1,000 times the environmental standard (0.01 mg/L or less)—at levels of 10 mg/L or higher—have been detected at the site, and cleanup costs are estimated at approximately 67 billion yen. This issue is having a significant impact on the progress of urban redevelopment plans and is a factor contributing to stagnation in land sales and utilization. There are approximately 28,000 hectares of brownfields in Japan, with their total asset value estimated at over 10 trillion yen. Based on the Soil Contamination Countermeasures Act, the national and local governments are conducting risk assessments and preliminary surveys; however, progress on countermeasures is currently lagging, particularly in regional cities. Kokusai Kogyo utilizes risk assessment technologies to provide support that enables land use through partial remediation.