Environmental Report 2013
Reducing Environmental Risks
Prevention of Soil and Groundwater Pollution
The discovery of soil and groundwater contaminated with hazardous substances is on the rise in Japan due to the redevelopment of former plant sites and voluntary surveys. Since countermeasures after contamination has already occurred take a vast amount of time and money, this is gaining recognition every year as a massive social problem, and related laws and regulations are being put in place.Amid these developments, Japan's Water Quality Pollution Control Act was amended in 1989 and 1996 in an effort to strengthen measures against groundwater pollution, and in 2002, the Soil Contamination Countermeasures Act was issued. Then, in June 2011, the Water Quality Pollution Control Act was amended, strengthening regulations for preventing contamination of ground water. The requirements of businesses that handle harmful substances and facilities that cause contamination are becoming more stringent every year.
The JAE Group has been preventing contamination by such means as double-walling underground storage facilities and pipes, but in FY 2010, it went even further by launching efforts to assess the risks of leaks and seepage into the soil at facilities that handle hazardous substances and those that handle fuel oil. The company has worked to prevent contamination from FY 2011 with a focus on responding to the amended Water Quality Pollution Control Act.
Results of a FY 2012 study to check compliance with the structural standards of the Amended Water Quality Pollution Control Act showed the structural facilities for which improvements will not be in place by May 2015. However, there were facilities for which routine inspections (visual) were difficult, and as a result, plans are being made to improve those facilities that are easy to visually confirm.
Symbol of Group's Environmental Policies
Significance of the Environmental Report
Environmental Performance
Environmental Management
- JAE Group Environmental Policy
- Implementation Status of the Environmental Management System
- Environmental Audits
- Environmental Education
- Compliance with Environmental Regulations
Environmental Accounting
Group Sites