Suzu City, Ishikawa Prefecture, 64 years’ worth, Wajima City, etc. 17 to 22 years’ worth
Japan’s Ministry of Environment: “I don’t know if it will be possible to secure a temporary storage location.”
The Nippon Keizai Shimbun (Nikkei) reported on the 23rd that a magnitude 7.6 earthquake occurred on the Noto Peninsula in Japan on New Year’s Day, generating approximately 806,000 tons of trash. The Japanese government is considering how to handle it because it could affect the reconstruction of earthquake-damaged areas.
According to the newspaper, many houses collapsed due to this earthquake, generating a large amount of ‘disaster waste’.
The number of houses that have been confirmed to have partially or completely collapsed in Ishikawa Prefecture exceeds 30,000. In principle, local governments and the national government should cooperate to dispose of large amounts of disaster waste, such as debris and tiles from collapsed houses, unusable furniture, and electronic products.
Based on data from this earthquake, Nagahisa Hirayama, an associate professor of disaster and environmental engineering at Nagoya University’s Disaster Link Research Center, estimated that the amount of disaster waste resulting from damage to houses would reach 806,000 tons in Ishikawa Prefecture alone.
Looking by region, Suzu City, Ishikawa Prefecture had 282,000 tons. This is equivalent to approximately 64 years of Suzu City’s 4,360 tons of general waste in 2021.
It is estimated that 201,000 tons of waste was produced in Wajima City, Ishikawa Prefecture. It was 119,000 tons in Notojo and 63,000 tons in Anamizu-machi. Each amounts to 17 to 22 years of waste in 2021.
Ishikawa Prefecture revised its disaster waste disposal guidelines in 2016, assuming a magnitude 7 earthquake occurs off the Noto Peninsula. The order of disposal of disaster waste was specified.
However, there are concerns that the amount of waste that needs to be disposed of will exceed the scale assumed by Ishikawa Prefecture.
The amount of waste is expected to increase as many old wooden houses collapsed due to this earthquake. Associate Professor Hirayama expressed concern, “If we include the waste generated by the tsunami, liquefaction (ground), and landslide disasters, the amount of waste will increase further.”
The problem is that large amounts of waste can affect recovery efforts and the ability of victims to rebuild their lives. If such waste is left unattended, it also obstructs the passage of construction vehicles. Waste cannot be left unattended in order to maintain a hygienic environment.
However, the Japanese government’s outlook for waste disposal is unclear. A representative from the Ministry of Environment told the newspaper, “The amount of waste was not clearly revealed. “I don’t know if we will be able to secure a temporary storage location with a sufficient area (to place trash),” he said.
As of the 22nd, the Ministry of Environment did not operate six facilities responsible for waste treatment.
The Ministry of the Environment has begun transporting waste to areas around Ishikawa Prefecture, but it is taking time due to road closures and other factors.
The Ministry of Environment dispatched 30 employees to the affected area to hasten the response.
Asari Misuzu, a professor of environmental engineering at the Japan Institute of Earth and Environmental Studies, said after the earthquake, “It takes time to completely restore infrastructure,” adding, “In areas with significant damage, it is necessary to proceed with treatment, such as moving waste to other areas by sea transport.” “There is,” he urged.
Source: Donga
Mark Jones is a world traveler and journalist for News Rebeat. With a curious mind and a love of adventure, Mark brings a unique perspective to the latest global events and provides in-depth and thought-provoking coverage of the world at large.