Transparency at Risk: Blacked-Out Documents in Osaka Izumi City Incinerator Issue

Concerns about reputational damage also arise

In the first part of the article titled “The ‘Information Disclosure Trouble’ Erupting in Izumi City, Osaka, as the Construction of an Industrial Waste Incinerator Progresses Without Citizens’ Knowledge,” the shocking situation is revealed where many residents in Izumi City, Osaka, are unaware of the ongoing construction of an industrial waste incinerator.

Read the first part of the article “‘I Didn’t Know Industrial Waste Incinerators Were Being Built’ The Serious Internal Situation of the ‘Information Disclosure Trouble’ Unfolding in Izumi City, Osaka.”

The article further explores how the construction of the large-scale incinerator has caused turmoil among residents. In response to concerns about environmental pollution, a citizens’ movement has emerged, and local citizens, including city council members from neighboring Kishiwada City, have requested information disclosure from the government. However, the documents that were released were heavily redacted.

Akiki Harumasu (31), who represents the residents’ movement, stated:

“Unfortunately, I only learned about the incinerator construction plan from a friend. Many citizens are unaware of the plan, and I questioned whether it was right to continue pushing forward with the project under these circumstances. The authorities may want to proceed quietly, citing compliance with national standards, but the residents and local business owners are not easily convinced.”

Harumasu, a farmer who grows vegetables and runs a natural food and health product store, is concerned that the construction of the incinerator could negatively impact his business.

“I fear that reputational damage could spread. The fact that most farmers are unaware of the plan is problematic. While I understand that stopping the project may be difficult, we will push for changes to the height of the incinerator’s smokestack to prevent the effects of dioxins,” he said.

As a result of these voices from citizens’ groups, a city council member requested information disclosure from the government to understand the safety standards of the project. However, as mentioned earlier, the documents returned were heavily redacted. The Osaka Prefectural government, which issues the permits, explained the situation as follows:

“The minutes of the review meetings are available on the Osaka Prefecture website and can be accessed by anyone. However, these meetings, which involve expert opinions and detailed sub-committees, are generally closed to the public. The redacted sections correspond to these review meetings. Since technical discussions are held during these meetings, releasing the information could reveal business operators’ technical details, which makes full disclosure difficult.”

The government official further explained that the environmental assessment is currently in its final stages. Regarding the citizens’ group request to reconsider the regulations, the official stated:

“We have received the request to raise the height of the smokestack. However, the experts in the review meetings have determined that the current planned height is adequate, and we anticipate proceeding with the plan as it is.”

The situation has yet to reach a resolution

The environmental assessment is currently at the evaluation report stage. If this step is passed and approval from a different department is granted, the project will move forward. So, what is the stance of the local municipality, Izumi City, on this matter? The person in charge from the city’s Environmental Industry Department, Environmental Policy Section, provides the following response:

“This project is being carried out by the business operator (note: the company name is omitted in the response) under the ‘Waste Disposal and Public Cleaning Law’ and the ‘Osaka Prefecture Environmental Impact Assessment Ordinance,’ with the approval of the Osaka Prefectural Governor. The business operator and Osaka Prefecture have been appropriately disseminating information based on these regulations.

In addition, from the city’s perspective, the method statement (which shows the methods for investigation, prediction, and assessment) and the public hearings hosted by the prefecture were made available to the public via the city’s website. Furthermore, the preparatory report (which summarizes the results of the investigation, prediction, and assessment of environmental impacts and outlines environmental conservation measures) was also made public through the city’s website and a separate publication in the city’s public newsletter as it met the deadline for dissemination.

Moreover, the city plans to continue notifying the public about the availability of the evaluation report (which consolidates public opinions, city and prefectural opinions, and the business operator’s views) on the city website as well.”

Regarding the predicted environmental damage associated with the height of the chimney, the city provided this view:

“The chimney height (50 meters) has been assessed in the environmental impact evaluation as not interfering with the achievement or maintenance of environmental standards. However, the city will continue to request that the business operator properly manage the concentration of exhaust gases from the chimney after the facility begins operation.”

According to Hideki Isha, a city councilor from Kishiwada City who has been in discussions with the city, Izumi City has started to show a willingness to engage with citizens.

Many environmental hazards are discovered and become serious only after a long period of time. Therefore, it’s difficult for citizens to be vigilant from the planning stage. Mr. Harumasu, mentioned earlier, expressed the following:

“The impacts of waste incineration are not visible and do not immediately manifest. However, health risks and reputational damage may appear decades later, affecting the generations of children and grandchildren. In particular, Izumi City, which is popular among young families, will see an impact in its residential areas. The process where many citizens remain unaware of this situation—Is this really democratic? I can’t help but think that.”

What became clear through this investigation is that the construction of the large waste incinerator is already a set plan. At the same time, many citizens are unaware of this fact. Citizen groups plan to continue protesting to the prefecture and the business operator, including pushing for revisions to the regulations.