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December 22, 2004 |
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Cosmo Oil Co., Ltd. |
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Public Relations Office |
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Results of Agronomical Surveys at the Gas Station Site in front of the Toyoshima Housing Complex
Cosmo Oil Co., Ltd. (Head Office: Minato-ku, Tokyo; Capital: 51.9 billion yen; President: Yaichi Kimura) has sold the gas station site in front of the Toyoshima housing complex located on a corner of a land redevelopment project site in 4-chome, Toyoshima, Kita ward, Tokyo to an independent Urban Renaissance Agency. At the time of the sale of the gas station site, Cosmo Oil conducted a voluntary agronomical survey on dioxins that are subject to the Environmental Standard for Soil, as well as an agronomical survey under Article 116 of the Environmental Ordinance to Assure the Well-being and Safety of the Citizens of Tokyo.
The surveys revealed lead, fluorine, benzene, and dioxins in some sections of the site to be above the levels of both the Environmental Quality Standard for Soil Pollution and the Environmental Standard for the Soil of Tokyo, as shown below. Cosmo Oil reported the results of the agronomical surveys to the Environment bureau of Kita ward, Tokyo and Tokyo Environment Agency by December 20. Cosmo Oil will immediately start work to excavate and remove the contaminated soil.
An explanatory meeting was held for the neighboring residents on December 21 to explain the details.
| 1. |
The name of the gas station site
Gas station in front of the Toyoshima housing complex (suspended operation from the end of March, 2004) |
| 2. |
Gas station site
4-18-23 Toyoshima, Kita ward, Tokyo (site area: approximately 412m²) |
| 3. |
Results of agronomical surveys (brief overview) |
| Soil |
Substance name |
Maximum concentration detected |
Environmental Quality Standard for Soil Pollution and Environmental Standard for Soil* |
Lead
(amount contained) |
1,700mg/kg |
Below 150mg/kg |
Fluorine
(amount liquated) |
10.0mg/L |
Below 0.8mg/L |
| Dioxins |
200,000pg-TEQ/g |
*Below 1,000pg-TEQ/g |
Testing on dioxins at the section affected by the existing structure is under way.
| Ground water |
Substance name |
Maximum concentration detected |
Environmental Quality Standard for Groundwater |
| Lead |
0.023mg/L |
Below 0.01mg/L |
| Benzene |
0.14mg/L |
Below 0.01mg/L |
Cosmo Oil will immediately conduct work to excavate and remove the contaminated soil under the guidance of Tokyo Metropolitan Government to avoid any impact on the neighborhood.
There will be no health impact on neighboring residents due to following reasons.
- Concrete floors built on the whole of the ground surface at the site have blocked any external environmental impact since the opening of the gas station.
- Currently, fences and fireproof walls are in place along the site boundaries to limit the entry of outsiders. Also, the groundwater contamination is localized and considered not to have spread to the outside.
Causes of the contamination are assumed to be as follows.
- In regard to the lead and benzene found in the groundwater, a possible association with the operation of the gas station cannot be denied. However, the cause has not yet been identified because no abnormalities in underground facilities had been confirmed in the past.
- In regard to the lead found in the soil, judging from the range and the depth of contamination, it seems to be associated with the history of the land, not with the operation of the gas station.
- In regard to the fluorine and dioxins found in the soil, the contamination seems to be associated with the history of the land, not with the operation of the gas station, because these substances are not used at gas stations.
Attached document: map of the area around the gas station in front of the Toyoshima housing complex
