Beppu City has signed a basic agreement with Osaka waste management company Daiei Kankyo on processing rubble and other disaster waste generated during disasters. In preparation for a Nankai Trough earthquake, this is the first agreement the company has signed with a municipality in the prefecture.
In preparation for a major disaster such as a Nankai Trough earthquake, Beppu City has signed a basic agreement with Osaka waste management company Daiei Kankyo on the processing of disaster waste. This is the first such agreement signed by a municipality in the prefecture. The agreement aims to facilitate everything from the removal, collection and transport of disaster waste during a disaster through to its processing at the company's facilities.
Beppu City estimates that approximately 179,000 tonnes of disaster waste would be generated by a Nankai Trough earthquake. Although the city plans to carry out final disposal at the Minamihata landfill for incombustible waste, the facility is expected to handle only approximately 20,000 tonnes. Under the agreement, Daiei Kankyo will respond to requests from the city and provide comprehensive support for waste processing.
The city said it would review its disaster waste management plan, including the selection of temporary storage sites for disaster waste, and establish a forum for consultations at least once a year. At the signing ceremony, Mayor Yasuhiro Nagano (長野恭紘) stressed the importance of advance preparations, while Hiroyuki Hamashima (浜嶋弘之), head of the Sales Division, said the company would work with the city to ensure preparedness during normal times and a swift response.
Daiei Kankyo began processing disaster waste following the Great Hanshin Earthquake and has experience handling waste from the 2018 Western Japan floods and flooding damage last year. It has 34 facilities nationwide and has signed similar agreements with more than 200 municipalities. This is the first such agreement in Oita Prefecture.