Article 6(1)If a prefectural governor finds that land falls under both of the following items, the prefectural governor is to designate the area of the land as an area contaminated by a specified hazardous substance and for which it is necessary to take measures to remove the contamination to prevent spread of the contamination or take other measures (hereinafter referred to as "measures for contamination removal, etc."), in order to prevent harm to human health due to the contamination:

(2)When making the designation referred to in the preceding paragraph, the prefectural governor must give public notice to that effect, pursuant to Order of the Ministry of the Environment.

(3)The designation referred to in paragraph (1) becomes effective by the public notice referred to in the preceding paragraph.

(4)If the prefectural governor finds that due to the measures for contamination removal, etc., the reason for the designation referred to in paragraph (1) has ceased to exist with respect to all or part of the area to which the designation referred to in that paragraph pertains (hereinafter referred to as an "area that requires measures"), the prefectural governor is to cancel the designation referred to in that paragraph with respect to all or part of the area that requires measures.

(5)The provisions of paragraphs (2) and (3) apply mutatis mutandis to the cancellation referred to in the preceding paragraph.

Article 7(1)Pursuant to Order of the Ministry of the Environment and to the extent necessary in order to prevent harm to human health due to the contamination, if a prefectural governor makes a designation referred to in paragraph (1) of the preceding Article, the prefectural governor is to indicate to the owner, etc. of the land in the area that requires measures any measures for contamination removal, etc. that should be taken in the area that requires measures, the reasons thereof, the deadline for taking the measures, and other matters specified by Order of the Ministry of the Environment, and to give instructions to the owner, etc. of the land to prepare and submit to the prefectural governor a plan describing the following matters (hereinafter referred to as a "plan for contamination removal, etc."); provided, however, that if it is clear that an act of a person other than the owner, etc. of the land caused the contamination of the land by a specified hazardous substance, and it is found to be appropriate to have that person who conducted the act (including a person that succeeds to that status by inheritance, merger, or split; hereinafter the same applies in this paragraph and the following Article) take measures for contamination removal, etc., and the owner, etc. of the land has no objection to having those measures imposed on that person, pursuant to Order of the Ministry of the Environment, the prefectural governor is to give instructions to the person that conducted the act:

(2)If the person that receives an instruction from the prefectural governor pursuant to the provisions of the preceding paragraph fails to submit a plan for contamination removal, etc., the prefectural governor may order that person to submit a plan for contamination removal, etc.

(3)If a person that has submitted a plan for contamination removal, etc. makes a change to a matter set forth in any item in paragraph (1) (excluding minor changes specified by Order of the Ministry of the Environment), pursuant to Order of the Ministry of the Environment, that person must submit to the prefectural governor the changed plan for contamination removal, etc..

(4)If a plan for contamination removal, etc. is submitted (if there is a change to a plan for contamination removal, etc., the changed plan; hereinafter the same applies in this paragraph through paragraph (9); in Article 9, item (i); and in Article 10), and the prefectural governor finds that the intended measures described in the plan for contamination removal, etc. do not conform to technical standards specified by Order of the Ministry of the Environment (referred to as "technical standards" in the following paragraph), only within a period of 30 days after the submission was made, the prefectural governor may order the person that submitted the plan to make changes to it.

(5)If a plan for contamination removal, etc. is submitted, and the prefectural governor finds that the intended measures described in the plan for contamination removal, etc. conform to technical standards, the prefectural governor may shorten the period prescribed in the preceding paragraph. In this case, the prefectural governor must notify the person that submitted the plan of the shortened period without delay.

(6)A person that submits a plan for contamination removal, etc. must not implement the intended measures until the period prescribed in paragraph (4) has elapsed (or, if notification under the provisions of the preceding paragraph has been made, the period to which that notification pertains).

(7)A person that submits a plan for contamination removal, etc. must implement the intended measures in accordance with the plan for contamination removal, etc.

(8)If the prefectural governor finds that a person that has submitted a plan for contamination removal, etc. is not implementing the intended measures in accordance with the plan for contamination removal, etc., the prefectural governor may order that person to implement the intended measures.

(9)If a person that has submitted a plan for contamination removal, etc. has implemented the intended measures that are described in the plan for contamination removal, etc., that person must report to the prefectural governor to that effect, pursuant to Order of the Ministry of the Environment.

(10)If the prefectural governor intends to give an instruction pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1), but, without negligence, cannot ascertain the person to whom the instruction should be given, and finds that inaction would have a significant adverse effect on the public interest, the prefectural governor themselves may implement any measures for contamination removal, etc. that should be implemented on the land in the area that requires measures, at the expense of the owner, etc.. In this case, upon providing a reasonable deadline, the prefectural governor must give prior public notice that a plan for contamination removal, etc. is to be prepared and submitted to the prefectural governor, and that the intended measures must be implemented in accordance with the plan for contamination removal, etc., and that if the measures to be implemented are not implemented by the deadline, the prefectural governor will implement the measures for contamination removal, etc. themselves

Article 8(1)If an owner, etc. of the land that has received an instruction from a prefectural governor pursuant to the provisions of the main clause of paragraph (1) of the preceding Article has implemented the intended measures on the land, and the contamination of the soil of the land by a specified hazardous substance is due to an act of a person other than the owner, etc. of the land, the owner, etc. of the land may claim the expenses required for preparation and revision of the plan for contamination removal, etc. related to the intended measures and the expenses required for implementing the intended measures to the person that conducted the act, to the extent of the expense amount needed for the preparation and revision of the plan for contamination removal, etc. related to the instructed measures and implementation of the instructed measures; provided, however, that this does not apply where the person that conducted the act bears or is deemed to have borne the expenses required for the preparation and revision of the plan for contamination removal, etc. related to the instructed measures or any measures for contamination removal, etc. related to the instructed measures specified by Order of the Ministry of the Environment prescribed in paragraph (1), item (i) of the preceding Article (hereinafter referred to in this paragraph as the "instructed measures, etc.") and the expenses required for the instructed measures, etc.

(2)The right to make the claim prescribed in the preceding paragraph is extinguished by prescription if:

Article 9It is prohibited for any person to make a change in land characteristics in an area that requires measures; provided, however, that this does not apply to the following acts:

Article 10The provisions of Article 3, paragraph (7) and Article 4, paragraph (1) do not apply to acts performed by a person who received an instruction from a prefectural governor pursuant to the provisions of Article 7, paragraph (1) as the intended measures based on a plan for contamination removal, etc.

Article 11(1)If a prefectural governor finds that land falls under Article 6, paragraph (1), item (i), but not under item (ii) of that paragraph, the prefectural governor is to designate the section of that land as an area where the land is contaminated by a specified hazardous substance and for which a notification must be submitted when a person intends to change the characteristics of that land.

(2)If the prefectural governor finds that the reason for the designation referred to in the preceding paragraph has ceased to exist with respect to all or part of an area to which the designation referred to in that paragraph pertains (hereinafter referred to as an "area that require notification for any intended change in characteristics") due to the removal of soil contamination by a specified hazardous substance, the prefectural governor is to cancel the designation referred to in that paragraph with respect to all or part of the area that requires notification for any intended change in characteristics.

(3)The provisions of Article 6, paragraphs (2) and (3) apply mutatis mutandis to a designation referred to in paragraph (1) and a cancellation referred to in the preceding paragraph.

(4)If a designation has been made under the provisions of Article 6, paragraph (1) with respect to all or part of the area that requires notification for any intended change in characteristics, the designation referred to in paragraph (1) with respect to all or part of that area that requires notification for any intended change in characteristics is to be deemed to have been cancelled. In this case, if the prefectural governor has given public notice of designation under the provisions of paragraph (2) of that Article, the prefectural governor is deemed to have given public notice of cancellation under the provisions of paragraph (2) of that Article, as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to the preceding paragraph.

Article 12(1)Pursuant to Order of the Ministry of the Environment, a person that intends to make a change in land characteristics in an area that requires notification for any intended change in characteristics must notify the prefectural governor of the type, location, implementation method, and intended commencement date of the change in land characteristics, and other matters specified by Order of the Ministry of the Environment, by 14 days prior to the date of commencing the change in land characteristics; provided, however, that this does not apply to the following acts:

(2)A person that has already commenced a change in land characteristics in an area that requires notification for any intended change in characteristics when the area was so designated must notify the prefectural governor to that effect within 14 days from the date of designation, pursuant to Order of the Ministry of the Environment.

(3)A person that has made a change in land characteristics as an emergency measure necessitated by an extraordinary disaster in an area that requires notification for any intended change in characteristics must notify the prefectural governor to that effect within 14 days from the date of the change in land characteristics, pursuant to Order of the Ministry of the Environment.

(4)A person that has made a change in land characteristics referred to in paragraph (1), item (i) must notify the prefectural governor of the type and location of the change in land characteristics that was made during the relevant period, and other matters specified by Order of the Ministry of the Environment, pursuant to Order of the Ministry of the Environment and for each period of time specified by Order of the Ministry of the Environment.

(5)If the prefectural governor receives a notification referred to in paragraph (1) and finds that the implementation method for the change in land characteristics to which the notification pertains does not conform to standards specified by Order of the Ministry of the Environment, limited to the period within 14 days from the date of the receipt of the notification, the prefectural governor may order the person that filed the notification to revise the plan concerning the implementation method to be used in making the change in land characteristics to which the notification pertains.

Article 13The provisions of Article 3, paragraph (7) and Article 4, paragraph (1) do not apply to changes in land characteristics in any area that requires notification for any intended change in characteristics.

Article 14(1)If an owner, etc. of the land considers that the state of land contamination of the soil of the land by a specified hazardous substance does not conform to standards specified by the Order of the Ministry of the Environment referred to in Article 6, paragraph (1), item (i), as a result of an investigation of the state of soil contamination by a specified hazardous substance on land that is not subject to the application of the provisions of the main clause of Article 3, paragraph (1), Article 3, paragraph (8), the main clause of Article 4, paragraph (3) and Article 5, paragraph (1) (excluding any land for which results of a soil contamination investigation have been submitted under the provisions of Article 4, paragraph (2)), pursuant to Order of the Ministry of the Environment, the owner, etc. of the land may file an application to the prefectural governor for the designation of the area of the land under the provisions of Article 6, paragraph (1) or Article 11, paragraph (1). In this case, if there is any other owner, etc. other than the owner, etc. of the land to which the application pertains, the unanimous agreement of all owners, etc. must be obtained in advance.

(2)Pursuant to Order of the Ministry of the Environment, a person that files an application referred to in the preceding paragraph must, submit to the prefectural governor a written application stating the methods and results of the investigation of the state of soil contamination of the land by a specified hazardous substance to which the application referred to in that paragraph pertains (hereinafter referred to as "investigation related to the application" in this Article) and other matters specified by Order of the Ministry of the Environment, attaching the documents specified by Order of the Ministry of the Environment.

(3)If an application referred to in paragraph (1) has been filed and the prefectural governor finds that the investigation pertaining to the application was conducted fairly and in the manner specified by the Order of the Ministry of the Environment referred to in Article 3, paragraph (1), the prefectural governor may make a designation of the area of the land to which the application pertains under the provisions of Article 6, paragraph (1) or Article 11, paragraph (1). In this case, the investigation pertaining to the application is deemed to be a soil contamination investigation.

(4)If an application referred to in paragraph (1) has been filed and the prefectural governor finds it necessary, the prefectural governor may request the person that filed the application to report or to submit materials regarding the investigation pertaining to the application, or have the prefectural governor's officials enter the land to which the application pertains and inspect the status of implementation of the investigation related to the application.

Article 15(1)The prefectural governor must create and keep a registry of areas that require measures, a registry of areas that require notification for any intended change in characteristics, a registry of areas that require measures where the designation referred to in Article 6, paragraph (1) has been cancelled pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (4) of that Article, and a registry of areas that require notification for any intended change in characteristics where the designation referred to in Article 11, paragraph (1) has been cancelled pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (2) of that Article (hereinafter referred to as the "registry" in this Article).

(2)The information required to be included in the registry and other necessary matters concerning the creation and keeping of the registry are specified by Order of the Ministry of the Environment.

(3)If a prefectural governor receives a request to inspect the registry, the request may not be refused without reasonable grounds.

Article 16(1)Pursuant to Order of the Ministry of the Environment, a person (excluding a person that intends to be entrusted only to carry the contaminated soil) that intends to carry soil out of land within an area that requires measures or within an area that requires notification for any intended change in characteristics (hereinafter referred to as an "area that requires measures, etc.") (excluding soil where the state of contamination by any specified hazardous substance has been found by the prefectural governor to conform to standards specified by Order of the Ministry of the Environment as referred to in Article 6, paragraph (1), item (i) as a result of an investigation that was conducted by a designated investigation organization in a manner specified by Order of the Ministry of the Environment; hereinafter referred to as "contaminated soil")must notify the prefectural governor of the following matters by 14 days prior to the date of commencing the carrying out of the contaminated soil; provided, however, that this does not apply when the soil is carried out as an emergency measure necessitated by an extraordinary disaster or to provide contaminated soil for use in testing and research:

(2)If a person that gives notification under the provisions of the preceding paragraph intends to make changes to matters related to the notification, that person must notify the prefectural governor to that effect by 14 days prior to the date of commencing the acts to which the notification pertains, pursuant to Order of the Ministry of the Environment.

(3)A person that has carried contaminated soil out of the area that requires measures, etc. as an emergency measure necessitated by an extraordinary disaster must notify the prefectural governor to that effect within 14 days from the date of carrying out the contaminated soil, pursuant to Order of the Ministry of the Environment.

(4)If a notification referred to in paragraph (1) or (2) is submitted under and the prefectural governor finds that it falls under any of the following items, limited to a period within 14 days from the date of receiving the notification, the prefectural governor may order the person that submits the notification to implement the measure specified in the respective item below:

Article 17A person that carries contaminated soil outside an area that requires measures, etc. must do so in accordance with standards concerning the carrying of contaminated soil as specified by Order of the Ministry of the Environment; provided, however, that this does not apply when the carrying is conducted as an emergency measure necessitated by an extraordinary disaster.

Article 18(1)A person that carries contaminated soil out of an area that requires measures, etc. (excluding a person entrusted only to carry the contaminated soil) must entrust the processing of the contaminated soil to a contaminated soil processing licensee; provided, however, that this does not apply in the following cases:

(2)The term "area contaminated by natural sources, etc. that requires notification for any intended change in characteristics" as used in item (ii) of the preceding paragraph means an area that requires notification for any intended change in characteristics that satisfies requirements specified by Order of the Ministry of the Environment, as a result of a soil contamination investigation, regarding the land where soil contamination by a specified hazardous substance resulted exclusively from natural sources or exclusively from earth and sand used for reclamation of a water area related to land development, and the term "soil contaminated by natural sources, etc." as used in that item means contaminated soil located within that area.

(3)The provisions of the main clause of paragraph (1) apply mutatis mutandis to a person that has carried contaminated soil out of the area that requires measures, etc. as an emergency measure necessitated by an extraordinary disaster; provided, however, that this does not apply when the person that has carried the contaminated soil out is a contaminated soil processing licensee and that person processes the contaminated soil themselves.

Article 19In cases falling under any of the following items, if a prefectural governor finds it necessary to prevent the spread of contamination by any specified hazardous substance in contaminated soil, upon providing a reasonable deadline, the prefectural governor may order the person specified in the respective item to implement measures for the appropriate transport and processing of the contaminated soil and other necessary measures:

Article 20(1)If a person that carries contaminated soil out of an area that requires measures, etc. entrusts the carrying or processing of the contaminated soil to another person, pursuant to Order of the Ministry of the Environment, simultaneously with the transfer of the contaminated soil to which the entrustment pertains, that person must issue to the person entrusted with the carrying of the contaminated soil (if the entrustment pertains only to the processing of contaminated soil, to the person entrusted with the processing) a control manifest stating the state of contamination of soil contaminated by a specified hazardous substance and the volume of the contaminated soil to which the entrustment pertains, the name of the person entrusted with the carrying or processing, and other matters specified by Order of the Ministry of the Environment; provided, however, that this does not apply when the soil is carried out as an emergency measure necessitated by an extraordinary disaster or to provide contaminated soil for use in testing and research.

(2)The provisions of the main clause of the preceding paragraph apply mutatis mutandis to any person that has carried contaminated soil out of the area that requires measures, etc. as an emergency measure necessitated by an extraordinary disaster.

(3)When the person entrusted with the carrying of contaminated soil (hereinafter referred to as the "entrusted carrier") completes the carrying, that person must enter matters specified by Order of the Ministry of the Environment into the control manifest that was issued pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to the preceding paragraph; hereinafter the same applies in this and the following paragraphs) and send a copy of the control manifest to the person that issued the control manifest pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) (hereinafter referred to as the "control manifest issuer" in this Article), within a period of time specified by Order of the Ministry of the Environment. In this case, if there is a person that has been entrusted to process the contaminated soil, the entrusted carrier must circulate the control manifest to that person.

(4)When a person entrusted with the processing of contaminated soil (hereinafter referred to as an "entrusted processor") completes the processing, that person must enter matters specified by Order of the Ministry of the Environment into the control manifest that was issued pursuant to the provisions of paragraph (1) or circulated pursuant to the provisions of the second sentence of the preceding paragraph, and send a copy of the control manifest to the control manifest issuer that entrusted the processing, within a period of time specified by Order of the Ministry of the Environment. In this case, when the control manifest has been circulated pursuant to the provisions of the second sentence of that paragraph, the entrusted processor must send a copy of the control manifest to the person that circulated it.

(5)When a control manifest issuer receives a copy of a control manifest under the provisions of the preceding two paragraphs, the control manifest issuer must confirm from the copy of the control manifest that the carrying or processing has been completed, and retain the copy of the control manifest for a period of time, specified by Order of the Ministry of the Environment, from the date on which the copy was received.

(6)If a control manifest issuer does not receive a copy of the control manifest under the provisions of paragraph (3) or (4) within the period of time specified by Order of the Ministry of the Environment, or receives a copy of a control manifest that does not contain the matters prescribed in those provisions or that contains a false statement, that person must promptly ascertain the status of the carrying or processing of the contaminated soil to which the entrustment pertains and notify the prefectural governor of the results thereof.

(7)When an entrusted carrier sends a copy of the control manifest pursuant to the provisions of the first sentence of paragraph (3) (excluding cases when the entrusted carrier circulates a control manifest pursuant to the provisions of the second sentence of that paragraph), the entrusted carrier must retain the control manifest for a period of time, specified by Order of the Ministry of the Environment, from the date on which it was sent, and when an entrusted carrier receives a copy of the control manifest under the provisions of the second sentence of paragraph (4), the entrusted carrier must retain the copy of the control manifest for a period of time, specified by Order of the Ministry of the Environment, from the date on which it was received.

(8)When an entrusted processor has sent a copy of a control manifest pursuant to the provisions of the first sentence of paragraph (4), the entrusted carrier must retain the control manifest for a period of time, specified by Order of the Ministry of the Environment, from the date on which it was sent.

(9)The provisions of each of the preceding paragraphs apply mutatis mutandis to cases of having another person use the contaminated soil for a change in land characteristics as prescribed in Article 18, paragraph (1), item (ii) or (iii). In such cases, the phrase "(if the entrustment pertains only to the processing of contaminated soil, to the person entrusted with the processing)" in paragraph (1) is deemed to be replaced with "(if the carrying is not entrusted, to the person that will use the contaminated soil for a change in land characteristics)"; the phrase "the person entrusted with the carrying or processing" in paragraph (1) is deemed to be replaced with "the person entrusted with the carrying or the person that will use the soil for a change in land characteristics"; the phrase "person that has been entrusted to process the contaminated soil" in paragraph (3) is deemed to be replaced with "person that will use the contaminated soil for a change in land characteristics"; the phrase "a person entrusted with the processing of contaminated soil (hereinafter referred to as an "entrusted processor")" in paragraph (4) is deemed to be replaced with "a person that will use contaminated soil for a change in land characteristics (hereinafter referred to as a "soil user")"; the phrase "completes the processing" is deemed to be replaced with "makes a change in land characteristics"; the phrase "that entrusted the processing" is deemed to be replaced with "that had the soil used for a change in land characteristics"; the phrase "the carrying or processing has been completed" in paragraph (5) is deemed to be replaced with "the carrying has been completed or the change in land characteristics has been implemented"; the phrase "the carrying or processing of the contaminated soil to which the entrustment pertains" in paragraph (6) is deemed to be replaced with "carrying or change in land characteristics"; and the term "entrusted processor" in the preceding paragraph is deemed to be replaced with "soil user."

Article 21(1)It is prohibited for any person to issue a control manifest containing a false statement regarding the matters prescribed in paragraph (3) of the preceding Article (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to paragraph (9) of that Article), despite the fact that no person is entrusted with the carrying of the contaminated soil.

(2)It is prohibited for any person to issue a control manifest containing a false statement regarding the matters prescribed in paragraph (4) of the preceding Article (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to paragraph (9) of that Article), despite the fact that no person is entrusted with the processing of the contaminated soil or no person uses the contaminated soil for a change in land characteristics.

(3)An entrusted carrier or entrusted processor or a person that will use contaminated soil for a change in land characteristics as prescribed in Article 18, paragraph (1), items (ii) or (iii) must not send a copy of a control manifest referred to in paragraph (3) or (4) of the preceding Article (including as applied mutatis mutandis pursuant to paragraph (9) of that Article), despite the fact that the entrusted carrying or processing of contaminated soil has not been completed or the contaminated soil has not been used for a change in land characteristics.

Article 22(1)Pursuant to Order of the Ministry of the Environment, a person that intends to engage in the processing of contaminated soil in the course of trade (excluding processing within the relevant area that requires measures, etc.) must obtain a license for each facility to be used in the business of processing contaminated soil (hereinafter referred to as a "contaminated soil processing facility") from the prefectural governor having jurisdiction over the location of the contaminated soil processing facility.

(2)Pursuant to Order of the Ministry of the Environment, a person that intends to obtain a license referred to in the preceding paragraph must submit a written application stating the following information:

(3)A prefectural governor must not grant a license referred to in paragraph (1) unless the application for the license referred to in that paragraph is found to conform to the following criteria:

(4)Unless the license referred to in paragraph (1) is renewed every five years, it expires when that period has elapsed.

(5)The provisions of paragraphs (2) and (3) apply mutatis mutandis to any renewal referred to in the preceding paragraph.

(6)A contaminated soil processing licensee must process contaminated soil in accordance with standards concerning the processing of contaminated soil as specified by Order of the Ministry of the Environment.

(7)A contaminated soil processing licensee must not entrust the processing of contaminated soil to another person.

(8)Pursuant to Order of the Ministry of the Environment, a contaminated soil processing licensee must record the matters specified by Order of the Ministry of the Environment concerning the processing of contaminated soil conducted at a contaminated soil processing facility for each facility to which the license pertains, keep this record at the contaminated soil processing facility (or, if it is difficult to keep it at the facility, the office closest to the contaminated soil processing licensee), and allow inspection upon request by any person with an interest in the processing of the contaminated soil.

(9)If breakage or some other accident occurs at the contaminated soil processing facility to which the license pertains established by a contaminated soil processing licensee, and contaminated soil processed at the contaminated soil processing facility or contaminated water or gas that has been generated in connection with the processing is dispersed, is discharged, seeps underground, or is otherwise emitted, the contaminated soil processing licensee must immediately notify the prefectural governor to that effect.

Article 23(1)If a contaminated soil processing licensee intends to make a change to any matter to which the license pertains as set forth in items (iii) or (iv) of paragraph (2) of the preceding Article, the contaminated soil processing licensee must obtain the permission of the prefectural governor, pursuant to Order of the Ministry of the Environment; provided, however, that this does not apply to a minor change specified by Order of the Ministry of the Environment.

(2)The provisions of paragraph (3) of the preceding Article apply mutatis mutandis to the permission referred to in the preceding paragraph.

(3)If a contaminated soil processing licensee makes a minor change specified by Order of the Ministry of the Environment referred to in the proviso to paragraph (1), or where there is a change to any matter set forth in paragraph (2), item (i) of the preceding Article or other matters specified by Order of the Ministry of the Environment, without delay, the contaminated soil processing licensee must notify the prefectural governor to that effect, pursuant to Order of the Ministry of the Environment.

(4)If a contaminated soil processing licensee intends to suspend or discontinue all or part of the business of processing the contaminated soil, or intends to resume a previously suspended or discontinued business of processing the contaminated soil, in advance, the contaminated soil processing licensee must notify the prefectural governor to that effect, pursuant to Order of the Ministry of the Environment.

Article 24If the prefectural governor finds that the processing of contaminated soil was performed by a contaminated soil processing licensee in a way that does not conform to standards concerning processing contaminated soil as specified by the Order of the Ministry of the Environment referred to in Article 22, paragraph (6), upon providing a reasonable deadline, the prefectural governor may order the contaminated soil processing licensee to make changes to its method of processing the contaminated soil and to implement other necessary measures.

Article 25If a contaminated soil processing licensee falls under any of the following items, the prefectural governor may rescind the license thereof or order the suspension of all or part of the business of the contaminated soil processing licensee for a specified period of time not exceeding one year:

Article 26A contaminated soil processing licensee must not allow another person to engage in the processing of contaminated soil in the course of trade using the name of the contaminated soil processing licensee.

Article 27(1)Pursuant to Order of the Ministry of the Environment, a contaminated soil processing licensee that has discontinued its business of processing contaminated soil or has had its license revoked pursuant to the provisions of Article 25 must prevent the spread of contamination by any specified hazardous substance at the contaminated soil processing facility that was being used in the business that was discontinued or was under the license that was revoked, and implement other necessary measures.

(2)If the prefectural governor finds that there is harm or a risk of causing harm to human health due to contamination by a specified hazardous substance at a contaminated soil processing facility prescribed in the preceding paragraph, upon providing a reasonable deadline, the prefectural governor may order the person who used the contaminated soil processing facility for the business of processing contaminated soil to remove the contamination and prevent the spread of the contamination and implement other necessary measures.

Article 27-2(1)In cases where a contaminated soil processing licensee transfers the contaminated soil processing business, if the transferor and the transferee obtain the approval of the prefectural governor for the transfer and acquisition, the transferee succeeds to the status of the transferor as a contaminated soil processing licensee.

(2)The provisions of Article 22, paragraph (3) apply mutatis mutandis to the approval referred to in the preceding paragraph.

Article 27-3(1)In the case of a merger involving a corporation that is a contaminated soil processing licensee (excluding cases where, as a result of a merger between a corporation that is a contaminated soil processing licensee and a corporation that is not a contaminated soil processing licensee, the corporation that is a contaminated soil processing licensee survives) or in the case of a split (limited to cases where the entire contaminated soil processing business succeeds to one corporation), if the approval of the prefectural governor is obtained for the merger or split, the corporation surviving the merger, the corporation established as a result of the merger, or the corporation to which the entire contaminated soil processing business succeeded as a result of the split succeeds to the status of contaminated soil processing licensee.

(2)The provisions of Article 22, paragraph (3) apply mutatis mutandis to the approval referred to in the preceding paragraph.

Article 27-4(1)In the case of death of a contaminated soil processing licensee, if the heir (when there are two or more heirs, and if the heir to succeed the contaminated soil processing business was selected by consent of all the heirs, that person; hereinafter the same applies in this paragraph, the following paragraph and paragraph (4)) intends to continue engaging in the contaminated soil processing business, the heir must apply to the prefectural governor within 60 days from the death of the decedent, and obtain approval thereof.

(2)If the heir applies for approval referred to in the preceding paragraph, the license referred to in Article 22, paragraph (1) given to the decedent is deemed to have been given to the heir from the date of the death of the decedent until the date of the heir obtaining the approval or receiving notice that the approval will not be given.

(3)The provisions of Article 22, paragraph (3) (excluding the part related to (e) of item (ii)) apply mutatis mutandis to the approval referred to in paragraph (1).

(4)The heir that obtains the approval referred to in paragraph (1) succeeds to the status of the contaminated soil processing licensee related to the decedent.

Article 27-5With respect to the application of the provisions of Article 22, paragraph (1) to the contaminated soil processing business conducted by the national or a local government (including a port authority under the provisions of Article 4, paragraph (1) of the Port and Harbor Act (Act No. 218 of 1950)) (hereinafter referred to as the "national or local government or equivalent corporation"), the license under the provisions of that paragraph is deemed to have been given when the national or local government or equivalent corporation has consulted and reached agreement with the prefectural governor. In this case, any technical replacement of terms related to the application of the provisions of this Act and other matters necessary for the application of the provisions of this Act are prescribed by Cabinet Order.

Article 28Beyond what is provided for in this Section, necessary matters for the business of processing contaminated soil are prescribed by Order of the Ministry of the Environment.