PRTR Data for FY 2002 Published

March 29, 2004

The Ministry of the Environment, with the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, compiled data reported from businesses concerned on release and transfer of chemical substances for FY2002 (April 1, 2002 - March 31, 2003) complying with the Law Concerning Reporting, etc. of Releases to the Environment of Specific Chemical Substances and Promoting Improvements in Their Management (referred to as the "Chemical Substance Releases Reporting and Management Promotion Law"). Estimation on releases which were not subject to reporting was also done. The data was compiled for the second time and was compared with the FY 2001 data compiled in 2003.

With promulgation of the Chemical Substance Releases Reporting and Management Promotion Law in July 1999, a reporting system for release and transfer of chemical substances (referred to as the "PRTR system") was introduced. There are 354 specific chemical substances (i.e., Class I Designated Chemical Substances*) for businesses being required to report on their release to the environment and their transfer as a form of waste under the law. The national government shall compile the reported data on release and transfer and estimate release exempted from reporting, and disclose thereof.

1.   Disclosed Data

Tables compiled based on the Ministerial Ordinance on the Method for Tabulating Data Reported on Release of Class I Designated Chemical Substances (Ordinance of the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry and the Ministry of the Environment) are prepared according to chemical substances, prefectures, business categories (45 types) and the number of employees (4,464 tables in total).

2.   Summary of PRTR Data for FY 2002

The summary of reporting status of businesses concerned, tabulated data of reported release and transfer by business categories and prefectures, estimation of release exempted from reporting is available at the website of the Ministry of the Environment.

Estimation method for release exempted from reporting for FY 2002 and basic data for estimation were compiled as reference material. Comparison between reported release and transfer for FY 2002 and FY 2001 (the latest revised version including the changes reported after the disclosure of FY 2001 data) was made. The improvement made for FY 2002 estimation method for release exempted from reporting was presented in the reference.

3.   Request for Disclosure of Information

According to Article 10 of the Chemical Substance Releases Reporting and Management Promotion Law, any person can request the national government to disclose information of release and other data reported by individual business. When a request for disclosure is submitted, the national government shall promptly disclose the information concerned. A requesting party is required to pay fees for disclosure.

Office in charge of PRTR disclosure and actual formalities required for disclosure in the Ministry of the Enviornment: