(4) Environmental Impact Assessment (Pollution Pre-screening Committee)

Environmental Pollution Responses in Yokkaichi

As well as countermeasures against existing problems, prevention of pollution before its occurrence is highly important in pollution control administration.
In 1972, Mie Prefecture adopted the Ordinance for Pollution Pre-screening Committee of Mie Prefecture, thereby taking the initiative in Japan’s pollution-preventive administration. The pollution pre-screening committee was intended to evaluate the environmental applicability of industrial facilities in technical aspects prior to their construction.
This system was later developed into the Environmental Impact Assessment System, the system to estimate the impact against nature and living environment arising from industrial facility construction and other regional development activities, in 1979.
The system, which has permitted the community to estimate and evaluate the environmental impact resulting from operations of regional development or facility construction, was put into effect as a national administrative system in 1984.