Overview

Unlike water or air pollution, contaminated soil does not disperse or dilute naturally but remains at the site, where it may continue to contaminate groundwater. In addition, when contaminated soil is excavated and transported during construction or other activities, it may contaminate the destination site and its groundwater.

In response to these characteristics of soil contamination, Environmental Quality Standards for Soil were established in 1991. Subsequently, following a series of soil contamination cases discovered at former factory sites and other locations, the Soil Contamination Countermeasures Act came into effect in 2003. These soil-related regulations require continuous review to reflect changes in social conditions and accumulated scientific knowledge. To address issues such as the addition of regulated substances, revisions to regulatory standards, and operational changes, the Japanese government regularly convenes expert committees.

We support policy development for soil contamination countermeasures by providing secretariat services, assisting in the preparation of discussion materials for expert committees, and supporting the development of educational materials for seminars and training sessions organized by relevant government ministries and agencies.

Features

● Drawing on our many years of experience in soil contamination investigation and analysis, we support the operation of expert committees on soil contamination countermeasures. Our services include organizing statistical data and academic literature, conducting questionnaires and interviews with stakeholders, and preparing materials required to identify current issues and evaluate policy options. We also support government policy evaluation through projects such as operational surveys of Designated Investigation Organizations under the Soil Contamination Countermeasures Act and assessments of the impact of legislative amendments on businesses.

● Leveraging our experience in investigations and consulting under the Soil Contamination Countermeasures Act and local government ordinances, we assist in organizing training programs for local governments and briefing sessions for businesses hosted by government ministries and agencies. Through stakeholder interviews, preparation of presentation materials, and analysis of legislative revisions, we contribute to the dissemination and promotion of government policies.

● Since the early implementation of the Act on Special Measures against Dioxins, we have conducted ultra-trace dioxin analysis and have supported the revision of national dioxin-related technical manuals based on this expertise. We have also participated in studies on voluntary dioxin countermeasures undertaken by private-sector organizations that fall outside the scope of existing legislation, including the Act on Special Measures against Dioxins and the Soil Contamination Countermeasures Act.

Track Record

● FY2019: Preparation of Materials and Operational Support for Briefing Sessions on the Revised Soil Contamination Countermeasures Act (Ministry of the Environment)
● FY2019: Investigation of Measurement Methods for Dioxin-Contaminated Soil (Ministry of the Environment)
● FY2019: Industrial Pollution Prevention Survey for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (Briefing Sessions on the Revised Soil Contamination Countermeasures Act and Impact Assessment on Businesses) (Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry)
● FY2018: Study on Issues Related to Designated Investigation Organizations and Technical Managers under the Soil Contamination Countermeasures Act (Ministry of the Environment)
● FY2018: Study on Soil Contamination Countermeasures for Dioxins (Ministry of the Environment)
● FY2018: Preparation of Materials and Operational Support for Briefing Sessions on the Revised Soil Contamination Countermeasures Act (Ministry of the Environment)
● FY2018: Risk Management Study for Environmental Conservation (Ministry of the Environment)
● FY2017: Survey on Countermeasures for Unregulated Substances in Agricultural Land (Ministry of the Environment)
● FY2017: Study on Issues Related to Designated Investigation Organizations and Technical Managers under the Soil Contamination Countermeasures Act (Ministry of the Environment)
● FY2017: Study on Measurement Technologies Related to Soil Contamination (Ministry of the Environment)