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Press Release

FY 2004 Survey on the Enforcement Status of the Noise Regulation Law

November 29, 2005

The Ministry of the Environment compiled a report on the complaints about noise and the status of enforcement of the Noise Regulation Law in FY 2004, based on reporting by local governments.

1.Application status of the environmental quality standards for noise

Six years have passed since the environmental quality standards (EQSs) for noise was enacted on April 1, 1999 (Environmental Agency Notification No. 64, September 30, 1998). The number of municipalities with areas subject to EQSs for noise has reached 1,614, comprising approximately 63.4% of the total municipalities in Japan (Table 1). The number of municipalities that conducted the environmental noise survey in FY 2004 was 672.

2.Status of complaints about noise

Complaints about noise totaled 16,215 in FY 2004 (15,928 in FY 2003), showing an increase of 287 complaints (an approx. 1.8% increase) from the previous year. A breakdown of these complaints by noise source shows that factories and business establishments accounted for 5,650 complaints (34.8% of the total), construction work 4,653 complaints (28.7%) and business operations 1,775 (11.0%).

Compared to the previous year, the number of complaints related to factories and business establishments and construction work increased by 309 and 351, respectively, while those regarding business operations decreased by 388 (Figs. 1 , 2 and 3).

3.Enforcement status of the Noise Regulation Law

As of March 31, 2005, the number of municipalities having areas designated under the Noise Regulation Law (hereinafter referred to as "the Law") was 1,763, comprising approximately 69.3% of the total number of municipalities throughout Japan.

The total number of factories and business establishments registered under the Law as subject to noise control (specified factories, etc.) was 207,494 as of March 31, 2005 (207,950 in FY 2003) (Table 2). The number of on-site inspections of these specified factories conducted under the Law was 937 (889 in FY 2003), out of which 4 sites were issued improvement recommendations to redress problems (6 sites in FY 2003). Orders for improvement were issued to no factories or business establishments in FY 2004 (no cases in FY 2003). Administrative guidance was given to 1,189 cases (924 in FY 2003) (Table 3).

The total number of construction work registered under the Law as subject to noise control (specified construction work) was 67,942 (68,333 in FY 2003) (Table 4). The number of on-site inspections of these specified construction work conducted under the Law was 1,176 (1,271 in FY 2003), and neither improvement recommendations (1 case in FY 2003) nor improvement orders (zero cases in FY 2003) was issued. Administrative guidance was given to 1,510 cases (1,352 in FY 2003) (Table 5).


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