Japan Press Weekly

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2010 June 16 - 22 [TOKYO]

Metropolitan gov’t conceals pollution data at fish market site

The metropolitan government is planning to relocate the Tsukiji wholesale market in Chuo Ward to the former Tokyo Gas plant site in the Toyosu District of Koto Ward. This plan has been criticized for choosing a site contaminated with high concentrations of toxic materials.

The Tokyo Metropolitan Government conducted the experiment to remove toxic chemicals from the ground between February and June at a cost of 830 million yen.

The metropolitan government in its interim report of the test released in March stated that it succeeded in detoxifying the soil that had contained benzene at levels 43,000 times higher than environmental safety standards.

However, the actual concentration in the soil sample tested was only 2.7 times higher than the environmental safety standards.

Even though the Tokyo Metropolitan Government was aware of this fact, it did not publish the true data.

The budget concerning the relocation of Tsukiji fish market was submitted to the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly in March and approved by the majority of the Liberal Democratic, Komei, and Democratic parties.

It has been alleged that with the aim of passing the budget through the Metropolitan Assembly, the metropolitan government decided to not disclose the full data.

Japanese Communist Party member of the Tokyo Metropolitan Assembly Shimizu Hideko said, “The JCP criticized the metropolitan government experiment as deceptive. The authenticity of the test conducted by the metropolitan government is now called into question. The Tokyo Metropolitan Government should closely examine its measures to remove the polluted soil with the participation of impartial experts in various fields such as environmental studies.
- Akahata, July 21, 2010