Fukuoka Enacts Ordinance on Storage of End-of-life Vehicles

Fukuoka Prefecture in southern Japan recently enacted a prefectural ordinance to control the storage of end-of-life vehicles and related parts. This ordinance entered into enforce on July 1, 2002, as a measure against environmental pollution such as oil leakage caused by piles of abandoned used vehicles and tires.

The national Waste Management Law does not apply to end-of-life vehicles and parts if they still maintain some value after use, so they were previously not covered by any laws or standards. Because of this gap in regulation, the prefecture suffered a problem with used vehicles and tires piling up in fields.

Fukuoka aimed to reduce the environmental impact of these items in storage and ensure a better living environment for the public through this ordinance, which sets standards for the storage of end-of-life vehicles, tires, batteries and engines.

Under the ordinance, parties storing these items must comply with certain requirments, for example, by putting up fences and notice boards, and preventing parts and oil from spreading, spilling, permeating the ground and creating offensive odors. They must also take steps to protect the sites from being overrun by rodents and insects, and must comply with a 3-meter height limit.

Parties storing more than 50 used vehicles or 1000 used tires are required to report their names, addresses and storage locations.



Posted: 2003/02/17 10:06:49 AM
Japanese version