Through these amendments, in addition to realizing a reduction in waste amounts and fulfilling obligations to cope with measures for the proper treatment of waste promoted by the national government and local authorities, by amending the regulations regarding obligations concerning generated waste, which includes hazardous waste, the prefectural governors and the mayors of cities, towns and villages have been given the power to instruct businesses which generate a large amount of waste to draw up plans for the reduction of waste. Meanwhile, because of the importance of maintaining waste disposal facilities for environmentally sound management of hazardous wastes, having established in May 1992 the Law Regarding the Promotion of the Construction of Specified Facilities for the Disposal of Industrial Waste, Japan will promote the establishment of facilities for reducing the amounts of hazardous wastes and eliminating the hazards of these wastes. Taking into account the above, Japan attaches importance to the implementation of the following activities. Japan will conduct research and development on environmentally sound technology for waste reduction and technology for the recycling of wastes, as well as for the adoption and spread of these technologies to promote further the prevention and reduction of the generation of hazardous wastes. In accordance with the Waste Disposal and Public Cleansing Law, wastes which have toxic, infectious or other properties which might be harmful to human health or to the environment, are designated as specially controlled wastes and such wastes are strictly managed, from the stage of discharge until their final disposal.
Japan attaches importance to the implementation of the following activities.
In order to further promote hazardous waste management, in addition to gradually expanding the list of specially controlled wastes, Japan will also conduct the required review of disposal standards and the standards for the management of the structure and maintenance of facilities for waste disposal. By continuing to provide technological and financial assistance to prefectural governments, which enforce the Waste Disposal and Public Cleansing Law, Japan will promote and strengthen institutional capacities in hazardous waste management. By enforcing the regulations of the Waste Disposal and Public Cleansing Law, including those which require that places of business have people who are in charge of the management of specially controlled industrial waste, the issue of manifests in case of commissioning the management of specially controlled industrial wastes and licenses for businesses to handle specially controlled industrial wastes, Japan will enhance the institutional capacities in hazardous waste management. Besides, the national and local governments will conduct studies of computerized control of manifests and of strengthening proper administrative direction. In accordance with the October 1991 amendments of the Waste Disposal and Public Cleansing Law, each of the individual prefectures has the power to designate a waste treatment public center for disposing of specially controlled wastes, etc.