The Basic Environment Plan - Reference

REFERENCE

Reference 1

Environmental quality standards for air pollution and noise pollution (based on the Basic Environment Law)

Reference 2

Targets under the Action Program to Arrest Global Warming (October 1990, Cabinet Ministers' Conference on Global Environmental Problems)

Reference 3

Japan's Greenhouse Gas Emissions in 1990 (September 1990, Japan's Action Report on Climate Change based on the Framework Convention)

Reference 4

Ozone depleting substances production/consumption control schedule (based on the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, revised November 1992)

Reference 5

The target for archiving environmental quality standards for nitrogen dioxide

Reference 6

The targets concerning the curtailment of the aggregate nitrogen oxides burden

Reference 7

The target of increasing low-emission vehicles

Reference 8

Environmental quality standards on water quality (based on the Basic Environmental Law)

Reference 9

Water quality targets for lakes

Reference 10

Water pollutant reduction targets for inland seas

Reference 11

Environmental quality standards for soil pollution (based on the Basic Environmental Law)

Reference 12

Targets for Ground Subsidence Prevention

Reference 13

Targets on recycling of paper and glass (The Order of Ministry of International Trade and Industry, October 1991, base on the Utilization of Reclaimed Resources Promotion Act)

Reference 14

Targets on recycling of metal cans (Council for Industrial Structure, Waste Disposal and Resource Reclamation Subcommittee Report, November 1990)

Reference 15

Japanese statement at the UNCED on official development assistance, June 1992:

REFERENCE 1

Environmental quality standards for air pollution and noise pollution

(based on the Basic Environment Law)

Nitrogen Dioxide: Daily average to be within or below 0.04ppm-0.06ppm

Sulfur Dioxide: Daily average to be below 0.04ppm, and hourly average below 0.1ppm

Carbon Monoxide: Daily average to be below 10ppm, and 8-hour-average below 20ppm

Suspended Particulate Matter: Daily average to be below 0.10mg/m3, and hourly average below 0.20mg/m3

Photochemical Oxidants: Hourly average to be below 0.06ppm

Noise: Decided by area type and time classifications. Areas beside roads are given different values, as are areas near Shinkansen ('bullet-train') tracks or airports.

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REFERENCE 2

Targets under the Action Program to Arrest Global Warming

(October 1990, Cabinet Ministers' Conference on Global Environmental Problems)

(Targets)

The targets for the limitation of greenhouse gas emissions shall be set as follows.

(1)

The Government, based on the common efforts of major industrialized countries to limit CO₂ emissions, establishes the following target for the stabilization of Japan's CO₂ emissions.

1. The emission of CO₂ should be stabilized on a per capita basis in the year 2000 and beyond at about the same level as in 1990, by steadily implementing a wide range of measures under this Action Program, as they become feasible, through the utmost efforts by both the government and private sectors.
2. Efforts should also be made, along with the measures above, to stabilize the total amount of CO₂ emission in the year 2000 and beyond at about the same level as in 1990, through progress in the development of innovative technologies, etc.., including those related to solar, hydrogen and other new energies as well as fixation of CO₂ at the pace and in the scale greater than currently predicted.

(2)

The emission of methane should not exceed the present level. To the extent possible, nitrous oxide and other greenhouse gases should not be increased.

With respect to sinks of CO₂, efforts should be made to work for the conservation and expansion of forests, greenery in urban areas and so forth in Japan and also take steps to conserve and expand forests on a global scale, among others.

(Duration of the Action Program)

The Action Program covers the period from 1991 to 2010, with 2000 set as the intermediate target year. During this period, the Action Program should be reviewed, as necessary, for its flexible response to international trends, accumulated scientific findings and so on.

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REFERENCE 3

Japan's Greenhouse Gas Emissions in 1990

(September 1990, Japan's Action Report on Climate Change based on the Framework Convention)

Carbon Dioxide Emissions Per Capita

2.59 tons of carbon/capita

Total Carbon Dioxide Emissions

320 million tons of carbon

Total Methane Emissions

1380 Gg (1Gg(Gigagram)=1000tons)

Total Nitrous Oxide Emissions

48 Gg

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REFERENCE 4

Ozone depleting substances production/consumption control schedule

(based on the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer, revised November 1992)

• CFC 1996 phased out
• Halon 1994 phased out
• Carbon tetrachloride 1996 phased out
• 1,1,1-Trichloroethane 1996 phased out
• HCFC 2030 phased out
• HBFC 1996 phased out
• Methyl Bromide 1995 stabilized at 1991 level

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REFERENCE 5

The target for achieving environmental quality standards for nitrogen dioxide

The Basic Policy for Nitrogen Oxides Reduction (January 1993) and the Nitrogen Oxide Reduction Plans (November 1993) set the target of nearly achieving the environmental quality standard for nitrogen dioxide by the year 2000. in the designated areas.

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REFERENCE 6

The targets concerning the curtailment of the aggregate nitrogen oxides burden

The Nitrogen Oxide Reduction Plans set the target value of total amount reduction of automobile emitted nitrogen oxides in each designated area.

A.

Regulations shall be placed on certain automobile types and their influx prevented.

B.

The increased use of cars that produce less pollution will be promoted to reach the goal set in the Nitrogen Oxides Reduction Plans.

C.

Joint and bulk cargo transport and a shift to mass transit systems, such as railways and ships, shall be actively promoted in medium to long distance transport between major ports. Also, the development and improvement of port facilities shall be promoted.

D.

The maintenance of public transportation and facilities for pedestrians and cyclists shall be promoted.

E.

To relieve congestion, bypass and loop maintenance, intersection and crossing improvements, effective enforcement of traffic regulations, parking measures, traffic control system improvements and traffic information systems shall be promoted.

F.

Soil, plants and other biological pollution filters shall be promoted as first stage decontamination systems.

G.

Guidance on appropriate and practical automobile use shall be promoted.

H.

With appropriate enforcement of the Nitrogen Oxides Reduction Plan, in an effort to continue reducing nitrogen oxides, surveys and examinations shall be promoted.

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REFERENCE 7

The target of increasing low-emission vehicles The Nitrogen Oxides Reduction Plans set the target that 300,000 low-emission vehicles should be introduced in the designated areas by the year 2000.

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REFERENCE 8

Environmental quality standards on water quality

(based on the Basic Environmental Law ):

Environmental quality standards have been set for the following water contaminants in order to protect human health:

Cadmium, total cyanide, lead, hexavalent chromium, arsenic, total mercury, alkyl mercury, PCBs, dichloromethane, tetrachloromethane, 1,2-dichloroethane, 1,1-dichloroethylene, cis-1,2-dichloroethylene, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, 1,1,2-trichloroethane, trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, 1,3-dichloropropene, thiuram, simazine, thiobencarb, benzene and selenium.Environmental quality standards have been set for the following water contaminants to conserve mankind's living environment:

Rivers and Streams: hydrogen-ion density, the amount of biochemical oxygen demand, floating substances, dissolved oxygen and coliforum bacillus groups.

Lakes and Marshes: hydrogen-ion density, the amount of chemical oxygen demand, floating substances, dissolved oxygen, coliforum bacillus groups, nitrogen and phosphorus.

Oceans: hydrogen-ion density, the amount of chemical oxygen demand, dissolved oxygen, coliforum bacillus groups, extracted substances in normal hexane, nitrogen and phosphorus.

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REFERENCE 9

Water quality targets for lakes

For designated lakes under the Law Concerning Special Measures for Lake Water Quality Conservation, the Lake Water Quality Conservation Plans set water quality targets to be achieved in five year period, foreseeing the achievement of environmental quality standard.

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REFERENCE 10

Water pollutant reduction targets for inland seas

Basic Plan for Total Water Pollutant Reduction (January 1991) and the Total Pollution Reduction Plans (March 1991) set targets of reduction of water pollutants in terms of chemical oxygen demand to be achieved by 1994 for Tokyo Bay, Ise Bay and Seto Inland Sea.

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REFERENCE 11

Environmental quality standards for soil pollution

(based on the Basic Environment Law)

The Government has set environmental quality standards for the following soil contaminants:

Cadmium, total cyanide, organic phosphorus, lead, hexavalent chromium, arsenic, total mercury, alkyl mercury, PCBs, copper, dichloromethane, tetrachloromethane, 1,2-dichloroethane, 1,1-dichloroethylene, cis-1,2-dichloroethylene, 1,1,1-trichloroethane, 1,1,2-trichloroethane, trichloroethylene, tetrachloroethylene, 1.3-dichloropropene, thiuram, simazine, thiobencarb, benzene and selenium.

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REFERENCE 12

Targets for Ground Subsidence Prevention

The Outline of Measures for Preventing Ground Subsidence (April 1985 for the Nobi Plain and the Chikugo-Saga Plain, November 1991 for the Northern Kanto Plain) establish the target for volumes of groundwater puming-up to be achieved by fiscal year 1994 (2000 for the Northern Kanto Plain)

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REFERENCE 13

Targets on recycling of paper and glass

(The Order of Ministry of International Trade and Industry, October 1991, base on the Utilization of Reclaimed Resources Promotion Act)

Recycled paper utilization

55%(in 1994)

Glass cullet utilization

55%(in 1995)

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REFERENCE 14

Targets on recycling of metal cans

(Council for Industrial Structure, Waste Disposal and Resource Reclamation Subcommittee Report, November 1990)

Steel can reclamation

over 60%(in 1995)

Aluminum can reclamation

60%(by the end of 1994)

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REFERENCE 15

Japanese statement at the UNCED on official development assistance, June 1992: Japan shall seek to expand bilateral and multilateral official development assistance from 900 billion to 1 trillion yen by for 5 fiscal years from 1992.