## (3) Revitalizing communities through sewage

The proper treatment of waste-water through improvements in sewage, and the preservation or creation of healthy water environments, stimulates promotion of tourism and industry. In addition, by creating river fronts using recycled water from advanced waste water treatment, stimulating regional activities through the operation and management of water amenity spaces by citizens, utilizing space above waste water treatment facilities, transferring sewage heat to be used as district heating, utilizing bio-gas as energy and efficiently using sewage resources, sewage contributes to regional vitalization in numerous facets.

## (4) Promoting environmental education in the field of sewage

Working groups, consisting of elementary school teachers and sewage administrator representatives, created teacher edition textbooks that were well-suited for classroom use for sewage education. In order for teachers to freely make use of these teaching materials regarding sewers, they are being offered through the “Sewer Systems, the Path of Circulation Environmental Education Portal Site Note $ ^{1} $ .” Additionally, subsidies are granted to each elementary and middle school for supporting environmental education on sewage.

Figure II-8-4-6

Source) MLIT

## Section 5

## Protecting the marine environment

## (1) Control policies over large scale oil pollution

In order to eliminate the substandard vessels (a major factor for large scale oil pollution), Japan actively participates in international initiatives, such as the formulation of the international shipping database (EQUASIS), while also strengthening Port State Control (PSC), which checks if vessels meet standards, by conducting on-site inspection of vessels that enter Japanese ports. As for systems for audit if flag state governments are fulfilling their duties in monitoring and supervising ships from their own country, an arbitrary system proposed by Japan was authorized for establishment by the IMO Convention. However, in light of progress in initiatives, the system is now scheduled to be mandatory by January, FY2016. In order to enhance the effectiveness of audit, Japan will participate in discussions in reviewing the manner of operation.

In other fronts, as countermeasures for occurrences of large scale oil pollution in the Sea of Japan, Japan is working on strengthening international cooperation and collaborative systems by drawing up plans such as the “NOWPAP Regional Oil and HNS Spill Contingency Plan” through the “Northwest Pacific Action Plan (NOWPAP)”, the framework for joined efforts between Japan, China, Korea and Russia for protecting the marine environment. As for large scale oil spillages that occur in domestic waters, measures have been established for prompt and precise response through the utilization of large-sized trailing suction hopper dredgers. On January 5, 2015, an emergency dispatch of “Kaishomaru”, a dredger-cum-oil recovery vessel, was made to recover oil from an oil spill found offshore of Shimane Prefecture.

Moreover, the amount of allowable oil and waste excreted from vessels is regulated by the MARPOL Treaty $ {}^{Note2} $ . The regulation over waste generated by vessels was further reinforced in January 2013 with the amendment on annexes of the protocol. In order to attain proper disposal measures in ports and harbors, Japan is providing support for improving reception facilities for waste oil generated by vessels by means of tax policies and the formulation of the “Guideline for Reception Facilities of Ship Generated Waste for Ports and Harbors (Plan)”.