subsequently promoted source-oriented measures and recycling in cooperation with all parties concerned.

One of these source-oriented measures was stopping the use of mercury for manganese batteries (April 1991) and alkaline batteries (January 1992) through joint efforts with the Battery Association of Japan. This has enabled significant reductions to be made in the amount of mercury used in batteries sold in Japan.

Japan has also established a collection and recycling system to prevent the mercury contained in household batteries, as well as the mercury in waste fluorescent lamps, from being released into the environment. Many municipal governments now participate in the Liaison Meeting for the Amalgamated Treatment of Waste Batteries, etc., organized by the Japan Waste Management Association, and jointly collect waste batteries and fluorescent bulbs (by means of sorted collection) and then dispose of them (through mercury recovery and recycling).

As these examples show, one effective measure to minimize the release of the hazardous substances contained in these products is to establish a system for environmentally responsible recycling, in conjunction with other source-oriented approaches. It is also essential that countries with no appropriate disposal facilities at hand consider a wide-area recycling system in which hazardous wastes can be exported under the Basel Convention and then recycled overseas. (For example, Japan imports mercury-containing wastes from Thailand, the Philippines and other countries and recycles them.)

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## The PCB waste problem

Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are industrially synthesized compounds. Because they are resistant to heat, have high electrical insulation properties, and are chemically stable, they are often used as insulating oil in high-tension transformers, high-tension capacitors and voltage regulators, as well as the heating medium for heat exchangers. However, the Kanemi Oil Poisoning Incident in 1968 became a turning point, after which the toxicity of PCBs became widely recognized. In 1972, administrative guidance was given to PCB manufacturers to stop producing PCBs and collect them instead. In addition, the Law Concerning the Evaluation of Chemical Substances and Regulation of Their Manufacture, etc., was enacted in 1974, principally to prohibit PCBs from being manufactured, imported and used from that year onward. Later, in 1976, standards for disposal by high-temperature incineration were introduced. However, some PCB wastes have been held in storage by domestic companies without being disposed of for over 30 years because of the opposition from neighbors, except for about 5,500 tons of liquid PCBs that were disposed of by high-temperature incineration at the Takasago plant of Kanegafuchi Kagaku K.K. from 1987 to 1989. There was some concern that the negative legacy of these PCB wastes might cause environmental pollution in the event of loss or leakage during long-term storage.

In response, the government instituted the Law Concerning Special Measures against PCB Waste (PCB Special Measures Law) in July 2001 with the aim of ensuring and fostering the reliable and responsible disposal of the PCB wastes stored in Japan for long periods. The law stipulated the necessary regulations on PCB waste storage and disposal. In line with this law, the government took the initiative in constructing wide-area PCB waste disposal facilities to serve as key disposal centers, assisted by the Japan Environmental Safety Corporation (formerly Japan Environment Corporation), while the national