Japan - Impact assessments for large projects now a must

[John Visher <visherjc@crisscross.com>]

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/news6-99/news.html#story12

June 11, 1999

Impact assessments for large projects now a must

          The Environmental Impact Assessment Law goes into effect
today, legally requiring assessments of large-scale development projects

and
          giving citizens a greater means to influence them.

          Under the new law, developers must announce plans to carry out

an assessment in advance so citizens and local governments have a
          chance to express opinions on how the survey is carried out.

          Previously, environmental assessments have been based on a
nonbinding 1984 Cabinet decision approving use of administrative
guidance.

          But because assessments were carried out after developers had
already devised their plans and released preparatory reports, projects
          traditionally have been highly inflexible.

          The new law is designed to encourage third-party input at an
earlier stage to prevent environmental destruction.

          The new law will increase the scope of projects requiring
environmental impact assessments from 11 to 14 -- including all nuclear
power
          plants and other plants above certain capacities and
large-scale logging roads.

          While the Environment Agency formerly was allowed to comment
on development projects only when its opinion was solicited from other
          government ministries or agencies, the new legislation will
give the agency the authority to comment on development projects as it
sees fit.

          Critics of the law say it does not adequately address the
issue of citizen participation and they point out that it is 30 years
behind the
          United States, which in 1969 created the first environmental
impact assessment system.

          Japan is the last of the 29 countries belonging to the
Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development to pass
environmental
          assessment legislation.