Public Nuisance Complaints Exceed 100,000 in FY 2003

Japan's Environmental Disputes Coordination Commission, a national government administrative committee, announced on November 26, 2004 that its service centers nationwide received 100,323 complaints in fiscal 2003, the largest number since it started keeping track of complaints in 1966. The number increased by 3,710 (3.8 percent) compared to the previous fiscal year and exceeded 100,000 for the first time.

The seven categories of typical public nuisances established by the Commission include air pollution, water contamination, soil contamination, noise, vibration, land subsidence and foul odors. The number of complaints falling into these categories in FY 2003 was 67,197 (67 percent of the total), increasing by 470 (0.7 percent) over FY 2002, while the number of complaints about other public nuisances such as sunshine rights, wind problems, light pollution and illegal waste dumping was 33,126 (33 percent), rising by 3,240 (10.8 percent) over FY 2002.

Among complaints in the typical nuisance categories, air pollution topped the list by accounting for 40 percent, and among the other types of complaints, illegal waste dumping placed first, accounting for 48 percent - this type of complaint has shown a rapid increase in recent years. Complaints about illegal dumping of general waste made up 77.3 percent of the total, with 22.7 percent were in regard to industrial waste dumping.

Complaints about nuisances generated by households, roads, vacant lots and farms have particularly increased. The Commission says that these increases are a matter of serious concern but at the same time reflect a growing environmental awareness among citizens.



Posted: 2005/03/22 02:47:18 PM
Japanese version