On-site Inspection andAdministrative Direction toBusiness Establishment
Prepared for WEPA 11th Annual Meeting
Vientiane Capital, Lao P.D.R.
25 January 2016
Engr. Toshiyuki ObeAdvisor, Assistant Director, Air and Water Environment Div.
Department of Environmental and Social Affairs
Mie Prefecture Government, Japan1

On-site Inspections and Administrative Directions
to Business Establishments
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– Outline of the Presentation –Economic growth and outbreak of industrial pollution in Mie Prefecture
Trend of administration on the water quality conservation
Legal system of administration on the water quality conservation
Effluent concentration regulation
Current state of on-site inspections and administrative directions
Structure of Water Pollution Control Law
Introduction of direct application of punishment provisions
Step-by-step directions appropriate for the degree of violations
Factors toward improvements of environmental compliances forbusiness entities

2

Location of Mie PrefectureJapan

Mie Prefecture
Population: 1.82 million
Area: 5,774 km2

Source: http://www.freemap.jp/item/asia/kouiki2.html

3

(From the late 1960’s)
Entering to an age of high economic growth aiming for
economic independence, from postwar years of recovery

Active attraction of enterprises and plants by local
governments for economic development of the areasOutbreak of pollution after beginning of plant operation

Placing effluent regulations after the environmental problems
becoming obviousPollution control was done by the governance agency ofindustrial development
4Sea of Yokkaichi area, around 1963
Sludge sampling from sea bottom
Source: International Center for Environmental Technology Transfer,
Yokkaichi Pollution and Environmental Museum for Future Awareness5YearAffairs
1958 - Enactment of Water Quality Control Law (WQCL) and the FactoryEffluent Control Law (FECL)
1960 - Problem of offensive odor fish became obvious inIse Bay (1955-)
1963 - Inauguration of Pollution Control Office in Mie Pref.
1966 - Yokkaichi and Suzuka water area were designated as control

area under WQPL
1967 - Promulgation of Mie Pref. Pollution Prevention Ordinance- Enactment of Basic Law for Environmental Pollution Control- Filing a lawsuit for Yokkaichi Pollution
1970 - Establishment of Environmental Quality Standard (EQS) relating

Location of Ise Bay,Yokkaichi and Suzukato water pollution in public water bodies- Establishment of Water Pollution Control Law (WPCL)( Repeal of WQCL and FECL)( whole area of Mie Pref. was covered for controlling)
1971 - Establishment of Environment Agency- Mie Pref. settled local effluent standard more stringent thannational uniform one
1972 - Judgement of the Yokkaichi Pollution litigation ( Plaintiffs won)

- Mie Pref. set up a new department of Environment

Malformed fish caught inSuzuka River, 1972 6

YearAffairs
1974 - Revision of Mie Pref. Pollution Prevention Ordinance（Institutionalization of Areawide Total Pollutant Load Control(ATPLC) on COD in Yokkaichi Area）
1978 - Revision Water Pollution Control Law (WPCL)(Institutionalization of ATPLC on COD)
1989 - Revision of WPCL(Institutionalization of prevention of groundwater contamination)

Yellowtail Fishkill due tored tide, 19751990 - Revision of WPCL(Institutionalization of measures to domestic wastewater)
1993 - Enactment of The Basic Environment Law
1997 - Establishment of Environmental Quality Standard (EQS)

relating to groundwater pollution
2001 - Addition of total nitrogen and total phosphorus
as new control targets of ATPLC

Red tide2003 - Establishment of EQS relating to conservation ofaquatic organisms
2011 - Revision of WPCL (Institutionalization of designated substance,measurement item, etc.)2012 - Revision of WPCL(Institutionalization of storage facility, structural criteria, etc.)

Blue tide7

Water Pollution
Control Law (WPCL)

Mie Prefectural
Ordinance

Specified Facilities(103+1 type)Law applied

Adding facilities subject to theregulation(Wider coverage)

Effluent Standard Health Items
 all specified plants
 Living environment items
 Discharged effluent ≧50m3/d

Establishment of more
stringent effluent standard
than national uniform one(Stringent add-on)

Guideline for small scale and non-regulated
business establishments
Small scale/ non-regulated business establishments
8Plant/ factory/ office

Prefectural Government- Prior notification ofinstallation and modificationof facility- Restriction on theimplementation of
construction work for 60 days

Investigating the contents ofnotification

Notification/
ReportMeasuring and recording
pollution situation in effluent
Compliance with the Effluent
Standards
Compliance with structural
criteria of specified facility that
handles hazardous material- On-site inspection- Collecting the reports

Guidance/
Direction/
Order

Establishing more
stringent effluent standard
than national uniform one
9

National Effluent Standards on
hazardous substances: 28 items
Items

Permissible Limits

cadmium and its compounds
cyanide compounds(Rule out the amount of underground seepage )Items

Permissible Limits

1, 1-dichloro ethylene

1mg/L

0.03mg/L

cis-1, 2-dichloro ethylene

0.4mg/L

1mg/L

1, 1, 1-trichloro ethane

3mg/L

1, 1, 2-trichloro ethane

0.06mg/Ll, 3-dichloropropene

0.02mg/L

Thiuram

0.06mg/L

organic phosphorus
compounds (parathion, methyl
parathion, methyl demeton andEPN only)

1mg/L

lead and its compounds

0.1mg/L

Simazine

0.03mg/L

sexivalent chrome compounds

0.5mg/L

Thiobencarb

0.2mg/L

Arsenic and its compounds

0.1mg/L

Benzene0.1mg/L

selenium and its compounds

0.1mg/L

Boron and its compounds

Other than sea area
10mg/L

total mercury, alkyl mercury
and mercury compounds

0.005mg/L

Alkyl mercury compounds

Not detectable

PCBs

0.003mg/L

Trichloroethylene

0.1mg/L

Tetrachloroethylene

0.1mg/L

Dichlorornethane

0.2mg/L

carbon tetrachloride

0.02mg/Ll, 2-dichloro ethane

0.04mg/L

Sea area 230mg/LFluoride and its compounds

Other than sea area
8mg/L
Sea area 15mg/L

Ammonia, ammonium
compounds, nitrites andnitrates(*)100mg/L

1,4-dioxane

0.5mg/L(*) Sum of Multiplied by 0.4 in ammonium nitrogen nitrite nitrogen and total amount of nitrate nitrogen.
Note: "Shall not be detected" means that the water contamination values obtained through the measurement method
designated by the Minister of Environment must be lower than the quantitative limits specified for the measurement method. 10National Effluent Standards on Item related to living environment:
15 items (1)Itemshydrogen ion activity (pH)

Permissible Limits

Items

Permissible Limits

Other than sea area 5.8-8.6

Phenols

5mg/L

Sea area 5.0-9.0

Copper

3mg/L

Zinc

2mg/L

dissolved iron

10mg/Ldissolved manganese

10mg/L

Chromium

2mg/L

Biochemical Oxygen
Demand （BOD）

160mg/L(daily mean 120mg/L)

Chemical Oxygen Demand（COD）

160mg/L(daily mean 120mg/L)

suspended solids （SS）

200mg/L(daily mean150mg/L)

n-hexane extracts (mineraloil)

5mg/L

n-hexane extracts (animals& plants oil)

30mg/L

number of coliform
groupsdaily mean 3,000
count/cm3

Nitrogen

120mg/L(daily mean 60mg/L)

Phosphorus

16mg/L(daily mean 8mg/L)

Note 1) The effluent standards shown in this table apply to the sewage from factories or establishments whose daily meaneffluent water is not less than 50 m3.
2) The effluent standard for biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) applies only to the sewage discharged into the public
water areas other than sea areas and lakes while the effluent standard for chemical oxygen demand (COD) applies
only to the sewage discharged into sea areas and lakes.
3) The effluent standards for nitrogen and phosphorus apply only to the effluent discharged into the lakes or sea areas
designated by the Minister of Environment.
11National Effluent Standards on Item related to living environment (2): Stringent
Add-on effluent standard by Prefectural ordinance (Applied for Type 1 Water Area)
Newly establishedspecified business units(established afterJanuary 1, 1972)

Other specifiedbusinessestablishments

Applicable drainage volume (average drainage volume per day)

50 m3 or more
(400 m3 or more in normal
hexane extracts content)

400 m3 or more

Item

Maximum
permissible
level

Daily
average

Maximum
permissibl
e levelDaily
average

From 5.8
to8.6---Industry

pH (hydrogen ion concentration) discharged into sea areas
BOD

1. Dairy farming and stockbreeding service industries

130100130100(mg/l)

2. Woolen spinning industry (involving wool washing)

--

12090

3. All industries (except the above industries No. 1 and 2)

25

2065

50

COD

1. Dairy farming and stockbreeding service industries

130100--(mg/l)

2. All industries (except the above industry No.1)

2520--

SS

1. Dairy farming and stockbreeding service industries

130100130100(mg/l)

2. All industries (except the above industry No.1)

90

70

90

70

Normal hexane extracts content (mineral oil content) (mg/l)

-

1-

1

Normal hexane extracts content (animal/vegetable fat and oil content) (mg/l)

-

10-

-

Phenols content (mg/l)

1-1-Copper content (mg/l)

1-

1-

11

ADVANCE PREPARATION- To understand the following points from Notification(e.g. production process; water area to be discharged; type of the water body to bedischarged; type and number of specified facilities; process of wastewater treatment;(autonomous management) effluent standard, etc.)

IMPLEMENTATION OF ON-SITE INSPECTION- Process based on Water Pollution Control Law (WPCL)- Conduct with plural members; carry permit and ID card; carry sampling
containers, etc.
DOCUMENT EXAMINATION- Hearing the contents ofnotification (representative; typeand number of control subject
facilities; facility location etc.)- Self-measurement result of
the effluent; checking analysis
reportOBSERVATION AT PLANTS ETC.
- Checking the notification contents- Examination of abnormalities anddefectiveness- Checkup wastewater treatment facility- Discharging point, drainage routes
WATER SAMPLING & ANALYSIS(Conducting without prior announcement)

121415

Water Pollution Control Law enforcement result in FY 2014 (Nationwide)
Plantsapplying
effluent
standard
32,381

Plants using
hazardous
material

On-siteinspection

Administrative
Direction

AdministrativeOrder

19,287

41,1097,537

11(Unit: cases)

Water Pollution Control Law enforcement result in FY 2014 (Mie Prefecture)
Plantsapplying
effluent
standard
870

Plants using
hazardous
materialOn-site
inspection

Administrative
Direction

AdministrativeOrder205

571

2570(Unit: cases)

14

- Business entity notifies to Prefecture Government not later than 60 days before the start of
installation work of a specified facility, then have the preliminary review.
- If the Government assesses any nonconformity or possibility of nonconformity, issues theorder of modification of initial plan to the business entity.
(1) When notifying

Specifiedfacility

Notifying
installation ormodification

Article 2 section 2

Specifiedfacility in thedesignatedarea

Article 5 section 1
Article 7

Investig
ation

Noncompliance witheffluent
standard
Non-compliancewith total
pollutant load
control standard

Article 8

Article 30

Plan changeorder
Proactive
measure order
Articlesection 28

Violation of planchange order

Penalty
Violation ofproactive
measure order
Article 30

Compliancewith effluent
standard

Article 2 section3

Breach ofnotification
obligation
Article 32

Compliancewith total
pollutantload control
standard

Installation ormodification offacility

17

As for the excess of effluent standard after installation of treatment specified facility, Prefecture
Government implements punitive action and order of temporary stopping operation.
(2) When operation

Article 35Notifying measuringmethodArticle 33

Article 14 section 2

Breach of recording
obligation

Obligation to measure
and record pollution
loading amountMeasuring andrecording pollution
status

Article 14 section 3

Non-specified facility

Treatment
facility for
sewageNon-specified facility

Article 14 section 1

Discharged waterSpecified facility (including
specified facilities in thedesignated area)

Public bodies
of water

Breach of notification
obligation

Specifieddischarged waterIndirect cooling water
Area of specified plant

Collecting onsite inspection
reportArticle 22

Report on
avoidance or
false ofinspection
Article 33Obligation to comply
with total pollutant load
control standard

Obligation to comply
with effluent standard
Article 12 section 1

Article 12 section 2

Possible non-compliance with total
pollutant load control standard

Improvement measure order
Article 13 section 3

Violating improvement
measure order
Article 30

Possible noncompliance with
effluent standard

Non-compliancewith effluent
standard

Improvement
measure order
Article 13 section 1

Article 31

Violating improvement
measure order
Article 30

Penalty16

Previous Factory Effluent
Control Law(FQCL, 1958-1970)
Violation of Effluent StandardOrder for improvement Disobedience to orders Application of penalty

Water Pollution Control Law
Article 12 Section 1
Those who are to discharge
wastewater shall not release thenonconforming one at the drain
outlet in the specified businessestablishment

Water Pollution Control Law(WPCL, 1970-)
Violation of Effluent StandardApplication of penalty

Article 31 Section 1
Intentional effluence ofwastewater nonconforming to theeffluent standard Up to six months of in jail or up
to 500,000 JP-yen of fine
1. Violation of regulation in Article
31.1
2. ・・・・・19

Violation of the law  cautionary notice in document
 Nonconforming to the notice  Order for improvement, Order for
temporary stopping operation
 In Mie Pref., no serious case such as order for improvement or
punishment has been occurred.
Accusation, Penalty

Order for improvement,etc. based on Article
13

 Orders, punishments based on the law Collection of reportbased on Article 22

Cautionary
notice indocument andguidance

Possibility ofviolation
Seriousviolation

On-site inspection Administrative directions 20

Administrativedirection, order ofimprovement, etc.

Technicalsupport

Money loan, financial
support for pollution
control facilities

Pollution Control
Agreement withlocal residents

Intensive compliance
Violation ofeffluent
standard, etc.

Improvement

Efforts of business entities- Employee training (spirit of compliance)- Pollution Prevention System in factories, - Self-management- Obtaining ISO certification
Notices, requests
for survey fromlocal residents

Civil lawsuitfrom local
residents

Threat ofbeing
smokedout bypolice /
Coast
Guard

Media coverage,
pursuit of social
responsibility

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Thank you very much!
Yokkaichi Petrochemical Complex No.1 (1984)22