Kanagawa govt explains Ebara incinerator mishap
A provincial government in Japan is refuting local media reports that an incinerator run by one of the country's largest engineering giants, Ebara Corporation, was shut down due to negligence.
A plant operated by Ebara was reportedly shut down after it was discovered that raw effluents were flushed directly into a stream flowing into the Hikichi River since the early 1990s, leading to record-levels of dioxin.
A senior officer in the Kanagawa Prefectural Government said the company had voluntarily stopped operations when the problem was discovered, followed by a "written advice" from the provincial governor on improving the treatment methods.
"The shutdown order was not issued by an administrative organ.
"Immediately after the problem had been revealed, the company voluntarily stopped the operation of the incinerator," said Shigeharu Take, the Environment and Agriculture Department director of air and water quality division.
Responding to a set of questions e-mailed by malaysiakini earlier this month, he said the plant's operation has been suspended ever since.
For the rest of this story and more, subscribe for only RM150 a year. If you're already a subscriber, please sign in.
Sign in Subscribe now