リニア建設 アセス法の不備を正せ
Maglev: Report: Maglev construction will have minimal impact?
The expert panel of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism on the Shizuoka section of the Central Shinkansen Linear Line will soon prepare a report evaluating JR Tokai's environmental protection measures, and will state that the construction will have minimal impact on the precious flora and fauna of the Southern Alps. It can be said that JR Tokai has cleared the "ecosystem" hurdle to start construction after the "water" issue, but Shizuoka Prefecture is opposed to the project. This is also related to the discussion on revising the Environmental Impact Assessment Law.
In 2011, the Japanese government appointed JR as the operating and construction company and initiated procedures under the Environmental Impact Assessment Law. In October 2002, after receiving comments from local governments along the line and the Minister of the Environment, the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism approved the start of construction.
Even after approval, Shizuoka Prefecture was concerned about the large amount of water that would flow into the tunnel and continued discussions with JR. In 2009, an expert panel set up by the MLIT to break the deadlock approved JR's water measures, and TEPCO is now in the process of supplying water from the dam, so local understanding of the water issue is improving.
The prefectural government has criticized this month's expert meeting, saying it did not fully discuss the issue. JR hopes to gain an understanding of the situation as soon as possible, but the prefectural government's argument has merit.
In the environmental review process, the Environment Minister's opinion in June 2002 expressed such strong concerns that even experts pointed out that the project was "exceptional" in that "there is no end to the environmental impact, including the large amount of spring water, the soil generated, and the protection of rare plants and animals," and "even if we do our best to avoid or reduce the impact, a considerable environmental burden will still be generated.
However, the Minister of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism approved the start of construction only four months later. It was difficult to say that sufficient discussion had taken place.
Since the Assessment Law was passed in 1997, climate change has become more serious and public awareness of the environment has changed dramatically. It was also pointed out that the Minister of the Environment does not have the authority to issue permits and approvals, although the main purpose of the law is to protect the environment. The "decarbonization" perspective is also insufficient, and it is time to discuss a review of the law. When the linear line is put into operation, the peak power consumption will be 270,000 kW, which is about 1% of Chubu Electric Power's supply capacity. If it is in line with the demands of the times and the law, the use of renewable energy should be considered.
Info based on translated news from
https://www.chunichi.co.jp/article/811105?rct=editorial Accessed: November 22, 2023
