Amendment To The Soil Contamination Countermeasures Act Enacted

The "Amendment to the Soil Contamination Countermeasures Act" was enacted on May 12, 2017, and was promulgated on May 19, 2017. This Amendment: (i) requires an owner of land, or other individual, that is subject to a suspended contamination investigation (due to the operation of a factory on the land, for example) to conduct an investigation in certain circumstances; (ii) establishes a system to issue orders for the submission or change of plans, considering that there is no measure currently in existence that allows for the correction of orders to remove pollution; and (iii) streamlines the regulations relating to the risks, including mitigating notification obligations in the event of change in the land's characteristics if there is no concern of a health hazard. This amendment will come into force no later than two years from the date of promulgation on a date to be specified by a Cabinet Order.