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Press Release

Ministerial Ordinance Partially Amending the Enforcement Regulations of the Law Concerning Special Measures against Dioxins

December 27, 2004

Ministerial Ordinance Partially Amending the Enforcement Regulations of the Law Concerning Special Measures against Dioxins is promulgated and came into effect as of today. The amendment authorizes simplified measurement methods by bioassay as methods for assessing dioxins in emission gas, dust and cinders from waste incinerators in certain cases.

Measuring very minute level of dioxins in the environment requires enormous amount of time and money, therefore development of rapid and low cost simple measurement methods and their application were expected.

In this respect, the Ministry of the Environment partially amended, as of today, the Enforcement Regulation of the Law Concerning Special Measures against Dioxins (hereinafter referred to as the "Regulation") based on a report "Application of Simplified Measurement Method for Dioxins" by the Central Environment Council submitted to the environment minister on November 12, 2004. The amendment supplements simplified measurement method by bioassay as methods for measuring dioxins in emission gas, dust, ashes, and other cinders from waste incinerators (hereinafter referred as the "dust, etc."). For concrete measuring methods to be established by the Minister of the Environment, as provided in the Regulation, will be approved after technical evaluation is made by the Ministry of the Environment (MoE). In order to increase effectiveness and efficiency of dioxin measurement and monitoring which would be a foundation for long-term management of dioxins, the amendment aims to positive application of simple measurement methods to appropriate fields matching their features. With recent development of biotechnology, leading-edge technologies such as bioassay are proactively adopted which is expected to contribute to the expansion of eco-business in the field of environmental measurement.

As of today, the MoE invites public to propose concrete simplified measurement methods to be studied for practical application. After the proposed methods are technically evaluated by the MoE, the Minister of the Environment will promulgate a ministerial notification specifying the simplified methods.

<Outline of the Amendments>

1.Supplementing simplified measurement methods by bioassay to measurement methods for dioxins

For the measurement methods mentioned below, provided in the Law Concerning Special Measures against Dioxins (hereinafter referred to as the "Law"), and simplified measurement methods by bioassay are now applicable in addition to the conventional measurement method utilizing high resolution gas chromatograph-mass spectrometer system (GC/MS). These simplified measurement methods are defined as: a method utilizing feature of dioxins which bond with aryl hydrocarbon receptor or a method utilizing antigen-antibody reaction of dioxins. These methods are required to be approved by the Minister of the Environment as having sufficient measuring accuracy.

- Measurement of emission gas (waste incinerators with incineration capacity less than 2,000 kg/hour) and dust, etc. in the designated facilities by the persons who installed it in line with Article 28, Paragraphs 1 and 2 of the Law.
- Verification of treatment standards for dust, etc. in waste incinerators under Article 24, Paragraph 1 of the Law.

2.Rearranging regulation on treatment standards for dust, etc. in waste incinerators

The provisions of standards and measurement methods for dioxins in dust, etc. from waste incinerators had been stipulated in the Ministerial Ordinance on Standards and Measurement Methods for Dioxins in Dust from Waste Incinerators. Formal arrangements were made including revising these provisions to be prescribed in the Regulation. (There is no change in the contents of stipulation except for 1 above.)

In accordance with the amendment, relevant ministerial ordinances and notifications were abolished or promulgated as of today.

3. Amendment of the form

Based on the amendment of 1 and 2 above, report on simple measurement method and on dust, etc. were added as new entries to the reporting form, with that the person who install designated facility reports the result of dioxins measurement to the prefectural governor in accordance with Article 28, Paragraph 3 of the Law.

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