Table 5-1-1 Guidelines Related to Removal of Buildings Damaged by the Earthquake off the Pacific Coast of Tohoku

Item	Main Content	Notes
1. Entering private property in order to conduct work	It is acceptable to temporarily enter private property in order to conduct work, even without contacting the property's owner or obtaining his or her permission. Because it is desirable to obtain permission from the owner if possible, it is recommended that the planned schedule should be made publicly known in advance.
2. Removal of damaged buildings	(1) Buildings	As for things that have collapsed and are in a state of debris and buildings that were washed away from their sites, it is acceptable to remove them even without contacting the owner or obtaining his or her permission.
As for buildings that remain on their site, for those that retain some of their original form, in principle the intention of the owner, etc. should be confirmed. However, when the owner cannot be contacted or when there is a danger of the building collapsing, it is acceptable to have a real-estate surveyor make a judgment. If the judgment is that the building has no value, it is acceptable to remove it.	It is recommended that a record be kept by taking photographs, etc. of the current situation.
(2) Automobiles	It is acceptable to make a judgment based on external appearance and then move automobiles that have no function to temporary location. In addition, when the owner can be identified, make efforts to contact the owner and deliver the automobile to him or her if he or she requests. In other situations, it is necessary to dispose of automobiles as end-of-life vehicles, according to the Automobile Recycling Law. As for automobiles other than the above, after moving them to a temporary location, make efforts to contact the owner and deliver the automobile to him or her if he or she requests.	It is recommended that a record be kept by taking photographs, etc. before moving or disposing of automobiles. Motorbikes are considered equivalent to automobiles.
(3) Ships	It is acceptable to make a judgment based on external appearance and move ships that have no function to a temporary location. In addition, when the owner can be identified, make efforts to contact the owner and deliver the ship to him or her if he or she requests. In other situations, dispose of them. As for ships other than the above, after moving them to a temporary location, make efforts to contact the owner and deliver the ship to him or her if he or she requests. For ships that are difficult to move, it is necessary to handle them through consultation with the owners.	It is recommended that a record be kept by taking photographs, etc. before moving or disposing of ships.
(4) Personal assets	Precious metals and other valuables are to be temporarily kept. If the owner is identified, efforts are to be made to contact him or her, and the item(s) are to be returned to him or her if he or she requests. If the owner cannot be identified, the item(s) are to be disposed of according to the Lost Property Act. As for things of value to the individual owner, such as Buddhist memorial tablets and photo albums, if they are discovered and can be easily recovered, it is recommended that they should be kept separately instead of being disposed of and that opportunities to deliver them to the owner should be provided. As for items other than the above, it is acceptable to remove and dispose of them.	Handling of personal assets found within buildings, automobiles, or ships is to be conducted according to (4).

by the private sector and 30 vehicles were donated by Yamagata Prefecture. The collected excrement is disposed of broadly, using treatment facilities in Miyagi Prefecture as well as through assistance by Yamagata Prefecture. In Fukushima Prefecture, since the disaster this matter has been handled through assistance of businesses within the prefecture. As for disposal of trash and debris, in Iwate Prefecture support was provided in ways such as industrial groups from outside the prefecture dispatching approximately 30 dump trucks and carrying out work.

On the other hand, in many areas waste disposal facilities and excrement treatment facilities were affected by the disaster, and some facilities still require repairs even now.

## B) The State of Care for Pets Affected by the Disaster

At many evacuation shelters, cages are provided to the shelters for pets that were evacuated with their owners, people and animals are separated, and the owners are taking care of their pets upon their own responsibility. In order to take care for pets in the disaster areas, on March 14 the Japan Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, the Japan Animal Welfare Society, the Japan Pet Care Association, and the Japan Veterinary Medical Association set up an “emergency disaster animal rescue headquarters” and they have been providing assistance such as distributing monetary donations, sending pet food to disaster areas, and giving advice to various local governments. The Ministry of the Environment distributed 1,398 animal cages and 56 tents to local governments in disaster areas and local governments accepting disaster victims.

## C) The State of Sewage Treatment

Since an early stage following the earthquake, all sewage pipe lines in urban areas have been quickly checked to drain away untreated sewage. In cases of broken sewage pipes or pumps, efforts were made to recover public sanitation by carrying out emergency responses using temporary pumps or laying temporary pipes and draining away polluted water. At sewage treatment centers that had been damaged by tsunami, etc., temporary sedimentation basins were set up and emergency responses are also being carried out by simple treatment that disinfects the supernatant fluid of those basins.