NOSE, Osaka Pref. -- Despite the accord reached last month to settle the nation's worst dioxin pollution, which hit this rural town, deep-rooted distrust of local authorities lingers among town residents.
According to the Osaka Prefecture-mediated agreement, Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co., which built the incinerator responsible for the pollution, and its subsidiary that engaged in its maintenance, will pay 750 million yen _ mainly to cover the cost of scrapping the incinerator and removing the contaminated soil in and around the complex.
The governments of the Osaka Prefecture towns of Nose and Toyono, which jointly run the Toyono Clean Center incinerator, will be required to dispose of the contaminated soil and other polluted materials by December 2006. They must also provide environmental testing and health checks for local residents for 20 years.