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ln keeping with the expansion of traffic facilities on land and sea and
in the air, environmental pollution centering around transport has come to pose
serious problems.
In case of railways, the noise by the Shinkansen has posed a problem and
legal actions have been instituted by a part of inhabitants along the line.
In case of air transport, noises of jet planes at landing and take-off have
posed a problem. Especially at the environs of Osaka Airport, a movement has
been started by neighboring inhabitants for asking the removal of the airport
and simultaneously court action is filed to seek the stoppage of night flights
and to demand damages.
In case of automobiles, exhaust gases, noise and the disposal of discarded
automobiles are posing problems.
Regarding air pollution, Fig. 25
shows that carbon monoxide (CO), for which a control measure was taken since
the earliest days, hit the peak in 1969 and since then has been on the decline;
nitric oxide (NO) is slightly on the decline; nitrous oxide (N20) and hydrocarbon
(HC), however, are on the high level.
Regarding marine pollution, the pollution of the sea around Japan due to
oil and refuse from ships and waste water from coastal industrial plants has
become a grave social problem.
As measures against environmental pollution by transport, the following
are being undertaken: measures against individual sources of exhaust gases and
noise, control of the traffic itself, removal of pollution matters discharged,
collection of data concerning pollution and promotion of environmental assessment.
The budget for pollution control measures appropriated by the Ministry of Transport
in fiscal 1973 was 20,240 million.
For measures against exhaust gases from automobiles, the "Fundamental Plan
for Measures against Automobile Exhaust Gases" was formulated in July, 1970
and the report "Strengthening of Exhaust Gas Control" was received from the
Central Council for Pollution Control Measures in October, 1972. At present,
various kinds of control measures are being vigorously promoted.
As for measures to prevent the occurrence of photochemical smog, it has
been made mandatory in May, 1973 to install exhaust gas reduction equipment
so that controI can be made at the step of fuel use. The so-called "1975 Control"
is noteworthy as an epoch-making control measure, because it stipulates the
reduction of 89 per cent of carbon monoxide, 91 per cent of hydrocarbon and
45 per cent of nitrogen oxides compared with the respective control values stipulated
in 1973 and also certain percentage reductions in respect of light buses and
trucks.
The noise of automobiles now comes under tighter control, because the safety
standards for road transport vehicles have been revised; and in addition to
the previous noise controI standard at normal running, a new controI standard
has been established against acceleration noise.
To prevent the noise of the Shinkansen, measures against sound sources have
been instituted, namely, sound-proof walls have been constmcted and sound-proof
devices have been installed on iron beams. For schools, hospitals and dwellings
where measures against sound sources only are insufficient, soundproof modification
of buildings and compensation for moving have been carried out.
To conserve living environments around air fields, the "Environmental Standards
against Aircraft Noise" was established and in future various measures will
be taken up on the basis of the Standards--such as measures against sound sources
and proper arrangements for utilization of land around air fields.
For measures to prevent or reduce the trouble due to aircraft noise in the
environs of airports, several aid measures have been implemented in the environs
of Tokyo International Airport, Osaka International Airport, Fukuoka Airport
and Kagoshima Airport, including compensation for house moving, and aids for
sound-proofing work on such public facilities as schools and hospitals. Also
the so-called "Aircraft Noise Prevention Law" has been revised in order to carry
oul proper arrangements of land utilization in the environs of airports and
aids for sound-proofing work of private houses; and the "Organization for Development
of Airport Environs" has been established in order to allow Prefectural Governo:
concerned to execute the Airport Environs Development Plan formulated by them
and to become agents of the Central Government in the clerical business for
house-moving reparations.
Control for preventing ocean pollution has been more and more tightened,
centering around the Sea Pollution Prevention Law.
Beside the tightening control for sea pollution prevention, various measures
have been promoted to develop facilities for waste-oil and waste-product disposa
at port areas and to develop waste oil incinerators and filth disposal equipment
to be used on board a ship. For sea areas which have been already polluted,
pollution prevention work such as dredging has been carried out.
Beside the above-mentioned individual measures against environmental pollution
by transport, it is necessary to promote the development of technique! for environmental
assessment, adjustments of interests of the parties concerned regarding environmental
pollution, and research and development for pollution prevention, and it is
also necessary to adopt measures for preventing pollution by transport which
are conceived from the overall viewpoint.
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