(1) Demolishing Disaster Waste from Affected Areas and Transporting it to Temporary Storage Spaces

Demolishing disaster waste from damaged houses in the affected area and transporting it to temporary storage spaces is a key to recovery and reconstruction.

Accumulated disaster waste may cause problems, including fires triggered by spontaneous combustion and swarms of flies and other unsanitary insects during warmer seasons (Figure 2-1-2). The following measures are being taken to prevent fires at temporary storage spaces: improved surveillance to prevent delivery of dangerous items (e.g., gas canisters and kerosene tanks); installation of fire-fighting tanks, fire extinguishers, and the like at the temporary storage spaces; regular visual checks for smoke leaking from combustible materials; monitoring temperature and carbon monoxide concentrations within combustibles, if possible; and avoiding stacking combustible materials or wood debris to heights of over five meters.

Disaster waste includes a significant quantity of houses and buildings damaged by the disaster, which need to be demolished in the near future. Demolishing the debris can only be carried out after disposal waste is stored in temporary storage spaces, so that enough space can be generated to transport the debris.

The volume of unsorted waste must be reduced as much as possible by transporting it to temporary storage spaces after roughly sorting it on location. Sorting should be done to separate out dangerous items and recyclables. It is also critical to reduce total disposal costs and landfill volume through appropriate sorting and processing according to waste characteristics. Specifically, this means sorting combustibles from incombustibles and separating out recyclables and hazardous items from waste transported to the storage space, using heavy machinery and equipment for shredding and sorting.

To ensure smooth disposal of disaster waste, the Ministry of the Environment formulated policies for demolishing and disposing of damaged houses, vehicles, ships, and vessels, and for handling precious metals, ancestral tablets, and photo albums. In addition, a policy was issued to call attention to the handling of waste asbestos, PCB waste, and infectious waste mixed in with the disaster waste, as well as vehicles and items targeted by the Law for Recycling of Specified Kinds of Home Appliances.

## (2) Current Status of Intermediate Processing and Recycling of Disaster Waste

To dispose of the vast amount of disaster waste generated by the massive earthquake, it is necessary to carry out intermediate processing to reuse recyclables such as concrete debris, scrap metals, and wood waste. The Guidelines (Master Plan) for Disaster Waste Management after the Great East Japan Earthquake indicates a method for recycling disaster waste. In collaboration with related ministries, the Ministry of the Environment exchanges information through liaison meetings by establishing a cooperative structure for the effective use of disaster waste, with the purpose of promoting the reuse of disaster waste in civil engineering projects. Since disaster waste has quite different characteristics from normal waste, even in terms of items for which recycling procedures have been established (such as vehicles), the Ministry of the Environment collaborates with related parties to ensure smooth recycling.

Moreover, at the cabinet Meeting for Promoting Disposal of Disaster Waste presided by the Prime Minister, general coordination and progress management have been being carried out. For example, it was discussed that harmless items, which would be dealt with as wastes in future due to lack of market competitiveness, such as roof tile debris, should be used for road beds, tide prevention forests or upland banking materials, on the premise of quality confirmation and public construction usage. Yet, when disaster wastes are recycled, sufficient safety on environmental conservation will become essential in the same way as ordinary recycled materials.

## (3) Disposal Status of Disaster Waste

The massive tsunami following the earthquake generated an enormous amount of disaster waste. Demolishing and disposing of this waste is absolutely imperative for achieving restoration and reconstruction in affected areas. Disposal of disaster waste has been promoted by installing local temporary incineration facilities; however, they have yet to be used to their full throughput capacity. Iwate and Miyagi prefectures decided to dispose of waste directly upon the request of municipalities. To do this, the prefectural governments formulated a disaster waste disposal plan that municipalities would rely on for disposal.

For example, Iwate Prefecture formulated a plan according to the national government’s Master Plan. The plan’s policy was to reuse recyclables as reconstruction materials whenever possible and minimize the amount of disaster waste to be incinerated or landfilled. The first step was to collect the disaster waste in primary temporary storage spaces after dismantling and demolishing the debris at the affected areas. The debris is then sorted into rough categories, such as house posts and square logs, combustible unsorted materials, and concrete debris. It is then transported to a secondary temporary storage space for further sorting into sub-categories such as combustible unsorted materials and incombustible unsorted materials, to ensure further recycling. Non-recyclables should be disposed of within the prefecture whenever possible, using existing and newly installed incinerators. Accordingly, Iwate Prefecture plans to introduce two temporary incinerators, while Miyagi Prefecture plans to install 29 temporary incinerators.

## (4) Broad-Area Disposal of Disaster Waste

Currently, vigorous efforts are ongoing in Iwate and Miyagi Prefectures to dispose of disaster waste through maximum use of local facilities, including installing temporary incinerators and promoting recycling, but broad-area disposal is needed to cover deteriorated throughput in the disaster-affected area. However, promoting broad-area disposal involves concerns over disaster waste that is contaminated with radioactive materials. In August 2011, the Ministry of the Environment formulated guidelines for promoting broad-area disposal of disaster waste and notified the prefectural governments involved. The guidelines indicate modalities for measuring the radioactive concentration of disaster waste in temporary storage spaces and air dose rate measurements when transferring the waste to places outside of the prefecture. Through revisions that took place in October, November 2011, and January 2012, the guidelines added safety concepts for recycling as well as new data, to indicate a safety check method for broad-area disposal. Moreover, in April 2012, Guidelines for Special Measures regarding Disaster Waste Disposal (Act No. 99 of 2011) was announced as the guidelines for broad-area disposal. The Ministry of the Environment conducts intensive public relations activities, including creating Q&A guidelines, explanatory leaflets for broad-area disposal, pamphlets, and video images, in addition to launching a website to spread information on broad-area disposal. Furthermore, the Ministry of the Environment is taking initiatives to build consensus among local communities by dispatching Ministry officials and professionals to give presentations to municipalities that are motivated to engage in broad-area disposal.

As it is necessary for the central government to make enhanced efforts to promote broad-area disposal and recycling of the disaster waste, the first assembly of the Cabinet Meeting for Promoting Disposal of Disaster Waste was held by the Prime Minister on March 13, 2012. Also, based on the Guidelines for Special Measures regarding Disaster Waste Disposal (Act No. 99 of 2011), on March 23 and 30, 2012, Prime Minister Noda and Minister of the Environment Hosono issued a request to relevant local governments for assistance with disaster waste disposal.

As of May 2012, these efforts resulted in Yamagata, Aomori and Akita prefectures and the Tokyo Metropolitan Government accepting disaster waste (Figure 2-1-3). In August 2011, the Basic Concept for Accepting Disaster Waste in Yamagata Prefecture was publicly announced. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government planned to make an agreement with each prefecture in September and November 2011 to accept 500,000 tons of disaster waste from Iwate and Miyagi Prefectures over a three-year period. Since February 2012, Aomori Prefecture has accepted disaster waste from Kesennuma City and Ishinomaki City, Miyagi Prefecture. Akita Prefecture also started to accept wood debris on a large scale. Since further expansion of broad-area disposal is needed, the government of Japan as a whole is vigorously working to spread the movement, asking local governments to accept disaster waste.

For example, Toyama and Mie Prefecture established a memorandum and a confirmation with prefectural government which was affected by the disaster. In

Figure 2-1-3 Schedule for Disaster Waste Disposal in Iwate Prefecture

Source: Detailed plan for disaster waste disposal in Iwate Prefecture