Comprehensive Researches for Waste Problem from a viewpoint of Law and Policy - in the South Tohoku District, Japan

1999年，作者访问了日本公益部和国家环境厅，并调查了有关废物问题的法律和行政程序。同年，他们多次访问了福岛、宫城和山形县的垃圾处理部门办公室，以及实际的垃圾场，以评估当地与垃圾有关的问题。2000年，研究范围扩大到岩手县、新泻县和户木县，并特别关注那苏镇的许多小型垃圾场和以Izumozaki生态公园基金会为例的典型环境。研究人员参加了几次地方政府听证会，并采访了非政府组织的成员。官方关于安全的声明与实际情况之间发现了许多差异。然而，由于2001年的持续调查，研究人员确定，尽管没有国家立法，但完善的废物处理指南可以有效地更好地处理废物。这项调查还显示，最近关于废物处理的法院裁决对环境问题变得更加同情。但由于这些县以外的大城市地区非法倾倒垃圾的趋势持续存在，主要困难仍然存在。

In 1999, the writers visited the Japan's Ministry of Public Welfare and the national Environmental Agency, and investigated legal and administrative procedure regarding waste problems. In the same year, they paid several visits to the department of waste disposal in Fukushima, Miyagi, and Yamagata prefecutural offices, as well as actual dumpsites in order to assess local waste-related concerns.In 2000, research was expanded to include the prefectures of Iwate, Niigata, and Tochigi, and focused particularly on many small dumpsites in the town of Nasu and the model circumstances exemplified by the Izumozaki Eco-Park Foundation. The researchers attended several local government hearings, and interviewed members of NGO. Many discrepancies were uncovered between official claims about safety and the actual circumstances.As a result of continued investigations in 2001, however, the researchers established that perfectural guidelines on waste disposal, though not nationally legislated, can be effective in better waste disposal. This investigation also reveals that recent court decisions on waste disposal have become more sympathetic to environmental concerns. But major difficulties still persist due to a continuing trend among larger metropolitan areas outside these prefectures of dumping waste illegally.