Japan Considers Beefing Up Local Authority To Stop Asbestos Scattering From Demolition

TOKYO—A policy commission of Japan’s Ministry of the Environment is exploring whether municipal governments should be given more authority to prevent the spread of asbestos into the atmosphere.

The Atmosphere Environment Commission of the ministry’s Central Environment Council will spend about one year drafting amendments to the Air Pollution Prevention Law to give municipalities more inspection authority, Kojiro Furukawa of the ministry’s Environmental Health Department told BNA May 21.

Scattering of asbestos from building demolition became a major health concern in Japan after the March 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and nuclear disaster.

In response to public alerts, municipal authorities in at ...