Article 14The policies for environmental conservation set forth in this Chapter must be formulated and implemented in a comprehensive and systematic manner pursuant to the basic principle, by working in partnership with other sectors to implement various measures with each other, with the aim of achieving the following objectives:

Article 15(1)The government must establish a basic plan for environmental conservation (hereinafter referred to as the "Basic Environmental Plan") in order to promote the policies for environmental conservation in a comprehensive and systematic manner.

(2)The Basic Environmental Plan is to specify the following particulars:

(3)The Minister of the Environment must prepare a draft of the Basic Environmental Plan and request the Cabinet to make a decision, after hearing the opinions of the Central Council on the Environment.

(4)The Minister of the Environment must make the Basic Environmental Plan known to the public without delay when the Cabinet has made a decision under the preceding paragraph.

(5)The preceding two paragraphs apply mutatis mutandis to changes made in the Basic Environmental Plan.

Article 16(1)Regarding the environmental conditions on the air pollution, water pollution, soil contamination and noise, the government is to establish environmental quality standards respectively, which are recommended to be kept up, so as to protect human health and conserve the living environments.

(2)If the standards referred to in the preceding paragraph are classified into two or more categories, and their respective categories are established to designate an area or water bodies, which must be classified into their respective categories, an administrative affairs related to the designation of the area or the water bodies are to be carried out by persons specified in the relevant items, according to the classification of areas or water bodies set forth in the following items:

(3)The standards set forth in paragraph (1) must be reviewed regularly from a scientific perspective and must be revised whenever necessary.

(4)The government must endeavor to keep up the standards referred to in paragraph (1) by implementing policies for environmental pollution control which are set forth in this chapter, in a comprehensive, effective and proper manner (hereinafter referred to as the "policies for environmental pollution control").

Article 17The prefectural governors may build programs to implement measures for environmental pollution control (hereinafter referred to as a "Environmental Pollution Control Program") for areas falling under any of the following categories, based on the Basic Environmental Plan:

Article 18The State and local governments are to endeavor to take measures necessary to achieve the Environmental Pollution Control Programs.

Article 19The State must give consideration to environmental conservation when formulating and implementing policies which have impacts on the environment.

Article 20The State is to take measures necessary to encourage business operators engaged in changing the shape of land, construction of new structures and other similar businesses to voluntarily examine, estimate and evaluate the impact on the environment in a proper manner in advance, and to give proper consideration to environmental conservation in relation to their business based on the results thereof.

Article 21(1)The State must take the following regulatory measures to prevent a hindrance to environmental conservation:

(2)Beyond what is set forth in the preceding paragraph, the State must endeavor to take necessary regulatory measures according to the measures set forth in item (i) and (ii) of the paragraph, in order to prevent a hindrance to environmental conservation related to human health and the living environments.

Article 22(1)In order to prevent a hindrance to environmental conservation by encouraging persons who are engaged in activities causing environmental load or activities contributing to environmental load (hereinafter referred to as "activities causing environmental load" in this Article) to build facilities which help reduce the impacts on the environment pertaining to activities causing environmental load or take other appropriate measures, the State is to endeavor to take measures necessary to provide financial aid for the persons engaged in activities causing environmental load, taking into account their financial position.

(2)Given the fact that the measures, which aim at encouraging persons who are engaged in activities causing environmental load to voluntarily reduce the environmental load caused by their activities on a voluntary basis by imposing a financial burden on the persons in a fair and proper manner, are expected to be effective in preventing a hindrance to environmental conservation, and are internationally recommended; the State is to review and study the effectiveness of measures to prevent a hindrance to environmental conservation and the impacts of the measures on the Japanese economy in a proper manner, if the measures are taken; and to endeavor to acquire the understanding and cooperation of the people about preventing a hindrance to environmental conservation by implementing the measures, if the measures need to be taken.In this case, if the measures are related to the policies for global environmental conservation, the State is to give consideration to international collaboration so as to ensure the effectiveness of the measures in a proper manner.

Article 23(1)The State is to take measures necessary to promote the setting up of buffer zones, construct other public facilities to prevent hindrances to environmental conservation, and those necessary to promote other projects on prevention of hindrances to environmental conservation, such as dredging of sludge, protection and breeding of endangered wildlife.

(2)The State is to take measures necessary to promote the setting up of public facilities for sewerage systems and waste treatment, traffic facilities (including mobile facilities) that help reduce the environmental load, and other public facilities that help prevent hindrances to environmental conservation, and those necessary to promote other projects to prevent hindrance to environmental conservation such as the maintenance of forests.

(3)The State is to take measures necessary to promote the setting up of parks, green areas and other public facilities, and those necessary to promote projects on appropriate improvements and sound uses of the natural environments.

(4)The State is to take measures necessary to promote appropriate use of the public facilities prescribed in the preceding two paragraphs and other measures necessary to increase the effects of environmental conservation due to these facilities.

Article 24(1)The State is to take measures necessary to provide technical assistance, etc. to business operators so that the business operators may consider to reduce the impacts of products or other goods pertaining to the business activities on the environment on a voluntary basis by making an assessment of environment loads induced by the uses or disposal of those in advance, when manufacturing, processing or selling products, or engaging in other business activities.

(2)The State is to take measures necessary to promote the use of recyclable resources and other materials, products and services which help reduce the environmental loads.

Article 25The State is to take measures necessary to deepen citizens' and business operators' understanding of environmental conservation and to motivate those to engage in activities for environmental conservation, by promoting environmental education and learning and by improving public relations activities regarding environmental conservation.

Article 26The State is to take measures necessary to promote voluntary activities, including greening activities, collecting recyclable resources and other activities for environmental conservation conducted by citizens, business operators, or private sector organizations organized by the public or business operators (hereinafter referred to as the "private sector organizations").

Article 27The State is to endeavor to provide information on the state of the environment and other information required for environmental conservation appropriately by giving consideration to the protection of the rights and interests of individuals and judicial persons, so as to promote the education and learning on environmental conservation provided for in Article 25 and to promote the voluntary activities for environmental conservation conducted by the private sector organizations set forth in the preceding Article.

Article 28The State is to conduct surveys on the state of the environment, researches to forecast changes in the environments or to forecast the impacts of the changes in the environments and other studies necessary to formulate policies for environmental conservation.

Article 29The State is to endeavor to establish systems for monitoring, patrolling, observations, measurements, examinations and inspections necessary to ascertain the state of the environment and to implement the policies for environmental conservation properly.

Article 30(1)The State is to promote science and technology used for developing methods to identify the mechanisms of change in the environment, to reduce the impacts on the environments, to evaluate the impacts of the economy on the environment and the economic blessings from the environment in a comprehensive manner, and to promote other science and technology used for conserving the environments.

(2)In order to promote science and technology used for environmental conservation, the State is to establish experimental and research systems, promote research and development, disseminate the results thereof, train researchers and take other necessary measures.

Article 31(1)The State must take measures necessary to implement mediation, arbitration in dispute or other measures to settle disputes over environmental pollution in an effective manner, and take other measures necessary to settle disputes over environmental pollution amicably.

(2)The State must take measures necessary to implement measures to compensate for damage caused by environmental pollution smoothly.

Article 32(1)The State is to endeavor to take necessary measures to ensure international collaboration on global environmental conservation, and to promote other international cooperation on global environmental conservation; to provide assistance for the environmental conservation in developing regions outside Japan and the environmental conservation highly evaluated internationally that contribute to the welfare of humankind and the wholesome and cultured living of the people (hereinafter referred to as the "environmental conservation in developing regions, etc." in this Article); and to promote other international cooperation on environmental conservation in developing regions, etc.

(2)The State is to endeavor to take measures necessary to; foster persons with expertise knowledge on international cooperation on global environmental conservation and environmental conservation in developing regions, etc. (hereinafter referred to as the "global environmental conservation, etc."); to collect, summarize and analyze information on the status of the environment outside Japan and other information on the global environmental conservation; and to promote other international cooperation on global environmental conservation, etc.

Article 33The State is to endeavor to ensure international collaboration so as to promote monitoring, observation and measurement of the environmental status on global environmental conservation, etc., in an effective manner; and to promote international cooperation to carry out surveys, examinations and researches on global environmental conservation, etc.

Article 34(1)In consideration of the importance of the roles played by local governments in promoting international cooperation on global environmental conservation etc., the State is to endeavor to provide information and take other measures necessary to promote the activities related to international cooperation on global environmental conservation, etc. by the local governments.

(2)In consideration of the importance of voluntary activities for international cooperation on global environmental conservation, etc. conducted by private sector organizations, etc. outside Japan, the State is to endeavor to provide information and take other measures necessary to promote their activities.

Article 35(1)When engaged in international cooperation, the State must endeavor to give consideration to global environmental conservation, etc. in the regions related to the international cooperation.

(2)Regarding business activities conducted in regions outside Japan, the State is to endeavor to provide information to business operators and to take other measures, so that the business operators can give consideration to global environmental conservation, etc. in the regions, in a proper manner.

Article 36Local governments are to promote and implement policies in a comprehensive and systematic manner according to the national policies set forth in Section 5 and other policies necessary for environmental conservation in accordance with the natural and social conditions of areas over which the local governments have authority.In this case, the prefectural government is to mainly implement the policies for a large area and to comprehensively coordinate the policies implemented by the municipal governments.

Article 37If a public works project is conducted by the State, a local government, or a person equivalent thereto (referred to as a "public operating body" in this Article), when it is appropriate and necessary for the public operating body to conduct the public works project in order to prevent environmental pollution or a hindrance to environmental conservation (hereinafter referred to as "problems related to environmental pollution, etc." in this Article), by taking into account the immediate need to prevent problems related to environmental pollution, etc. , the scale of the project and other circumstances, the State and local governments are to take measures necessary to impose all or part of the cost required to conduct the public works project on the person that created a need for the project in a fair and appropriate manner, within the limits of their responsibility attributed to their activities, provided that it is found appropriate to impose the cost required for the project on the person that created the need for the project, by taking into account the level of problems related to environmental pollution , etc., due to the person's activities that created the need for the project and the level of impact of the person's activities that caused pollution on the environment.

Article 38If any person receives huge benefits from conducting a public works project to conserve natural environment in an area where conservation of natural environment is highly required, the State and local governments are to take measures necessary to impose all or part of the costs required to conduct the project on the person in a fair and appropriate manner, up to the maximum amount of profit.

Article 39The State is to endeavor to take financial measures and other measures necessary to cope with the expenses required for the local governments to formulate and implement policies for environmental conservation.

Article 40The State and local governments are to cooperate with each other when implementing policies for environmental conservation.

Article 40-2Any administrative affairs to be handled by Prefectures or Cities pursuant to the provisions of the Article 16, paragraph (2) (excluding the administrative affairs specified by Cabinet Order), are classified as type-1 statutory entrusted affairs as prescribed in Article 2, paragraph (9), item (i) of the Local Autonomy Act (Act No. 67 of 1947).

Article 41(1)The Central Council for the Environment is to be established in the Ministry of the Environment.

(2)The Central Council for the Environment is to handle administrative affairs set forth in the following items:

(3)The Central Council for the Environment may submit its opinions on the matters set forth in the preceding paragraph to the Minister of the Environment or other ministers concerned.

(4)Beyond what is set forth in the preceding two paragraphs, the organization of the Central Environmental Council, administrative affairs under its authority, its members and other employees and other matters necessary for the Central Environmental Council are prescribed by Cabinet Order.

Article 42Deleted

Article 43(1)The prefectural governments are to establish councils and other organizations with council system consisting of members including persons with relevant expertise in environmental conservation to examine and discuss the basic matters and others regarding environmental conservation in areas located in the prefectures.

(2)The particulars necessary for the organization and administration of councils and other authorities with council system prescribed in the preceding paragraph are to be specified by the relevant Prefectural Ordinance.

Article 44The municipal governments may establish councils and other authorities with council system consisting of members including persons with relevant expertise in environmental conservation, as provided for by Municipal Ordinances, to examine and discuss the basic matters and others regarding environmental conservation in areas located in the municipalities.

Article 45(1)The Conference on Environmental Pollution Control (hereinafter referred to as the "Conference") is to be established in the Ministry of the Environment as an extraordinary organ.

(2)The Conference administers affairs set forth in the following items:

Article 46(1)The Conference is comprised of a chairperson and Conference members.

(2)The Minister of the Environment is to be appointed as the chairperson.

(3)Members are to be appointed by the Prime Minister from among the Chief Cabinet Secretary, the heads of the relevant administrative organs and the ministers of state for particular fields prescribed in Article 9, paragraph (1) of the Act for Establishment of the Cabinet Office (Act No. 89 of 1999), that are recommended by the Minister of the Environment.

(4)Executive secretaries are to be appointed to support the Conference.

(5)The executive secretaries are to be appointed by the Minister of the Environment from among officials of the relevant administrative organs.

(6)The executive secretaries assist the chairperson and other members in administering affairs over which the Conference has authority.

(7)Beyond what is set forth in the preceding paragraphs, matters that are necessary for the organization and operation of the Conference are specified by Cabinet Order.