JAPAN: Tighter Controls on Dumping of Industrial Waste

By Suvendrini Kakuchi Reprint | | Print |

Suvendrini Kakuchi

TOKYO, Sep 30 1995 (IPS) - Japan, responsible for most of the industrial waste dumped into the world’s oceans, plans to tighten restrictions on waste disposal practices of Japanese companies.

With the approach of the Jan. 1, 1996 deadline for waste dumping set by the International Convention on the Prevention of Maritime Pollution, Japan’s Environment Agency is targeting a 20 percent cut in the annual volume of waste disposed of in the sea.

Norihiko Tanaka, a Japanese environment official, says the government will impose a stiff penalty on companies found violating the new regulations.

Surveys by the Maritime Safety Agency show the amount of industrial waste in the sea has soared to the highest level in recent years.

In 1994 the figure reached 5.75 million tonnes, up 36 percent or 1.5 million tonnes from the previous year. Six destinations have been designated for dumping — two in the Japan Sea and the rest in the Pacific Ocean.

The Environment Agency says the volume of waste dumped can be reduced by 20 percent with the new ban on the disposal of photo developer fluid, liquid plating used to coat metals, and waste from construction.

Construction slurry and waste from aluminium manufacturers accounted for much of the industrial discharge found in the sea.

Other pollutants include organic waste from the pulp and paper industry, useless explosives, water acid from the steel, tobacco and food industries, bulky household waste and waste alkali from the textile and chemical industries.

International environment experts say Japan is responsible for 60 percent of the 7.08 million tonnes of industrial waste being dumped into the world’s oceans.

Environmentalists say this is because the country’s anti- dumping laws ban only a restricted number of chemicals.

“Compared to most other industrialised countries, Japan controls only a few chemicals, leaving companies with a lot of freedom when it comes to waste dumping,” says Ayako Ishine, an anti-waste dumping campaigner for Greenpeace-Japan.

According to international laws each nation is entitled to an industrial waste quota that can be dumped into the sea. But when it meets next year, the London Convention on waste dumping plans to ban all industrial waste disposal with the exception of sewage, fish waste and natural organic substances.