JAPAN ENVIRONMENT AGENCY TO SET 0.6 PICOGRAM AIR AND 1,000 PICOGRAM OF DIOXIN AS LIMITS IN SOIL

[John Visher <visherjc@crisscross.com>]

FRIDAY, OCTOBER 22, 1999, EVENING EDITION


ASAHI (FRONT PAGE)                   991022E

 JEA TO SET 1,000 PICOGRAM OF DIOXIN AS LIMITS IN SOIL
 TOKYO – The Environmental Agency is coming close to setting
environmental standards for dioxin concentration levels in the air and
soil under the recently passed Special Measures to Control Dioxin.  The
levels the agency is thinking are 1,000 picogram of dioxin in one gram
of soil and 0.6 picogram per one cubic meter of air, which are to be
officially decided by the end of the calendar year.
 The new standard-to-be for the air is lower than the present one of 0.8
picogram.  However, the new one for the soil is inviting criticism from
some sectors because it would virtually declare all soil in the nation
except a couple places like Nose, Osaka, is harmless.