Japan Press Weekly

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2017 May 17 - 23 [SOCIAL ISSUES]

Benzene 100 times higher than legal baseline detected again in groundwater in Toyosu

A meeting of the expert panel on the relocation of the Tsukiji fish market to Toyosu on May 18 reported that levels of toxic chemicals such as benzene and cyanide 100 times higher than the environmental limit were detected in the groundwater in the Toyosu district.

This was the third time high levels of contamination were found. Benzene 79 times higher than environmental standards was detected from November to December in 2016, and 100 times higher in February 2017.

At the meeting held at the Tsukiji fish market, the expert panel chair, Hirata Tatemasa, said, “It will be impossible to decontaminate groundwater at the Toyosu site below the environmental standard level.” Tsukiji market wholesalers who observed the meeting from their gallery seats voiced anger, saying, “The Tokyo Metropolitan government had promised to fully remove all polluted soil and render the Toyosu market site harmless. However, it is clear that it broke its promise.”

Later on the same day, Japanese Communist Party member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly Oyama Tomoko issued a statement.

Oyama said, “The Tokyo Metropolitan government promised Tokyo residents and the assembly to open a new market in Toyosu under fully safe and harmless conditions. However, the expert panel for soil contamination countermeasures ignored this promise and neglected to engage in removing toxic chemicals from polluted soil and groundwater. For the purpose of protecting food safety, the Tokyo government should give up the relocation of the Tsukiji fish market to the Toyosu site and start the renovation of the Tsukiji fish market facilities.”

Past related articles:
> Tokyo JCP demands drastic review of plan to move Tsukiji market to Toyosu [January 17, 2017]
> Benzene 79 times higher than legal limit detected in Tokyo’s proposed new fish market site [January 15, 2017]