Japan Tsunami Disaster Waste Disposal

The Ishinomaki area about 200 miles north of Tokyo was hit the hardest by the 2011 tsunami that resulted from the Tohuko Earthquake. Over 3billion tons of debris will be processed.  The facility is about 100 acres.  Waste is stockpiled locally and then transferred to the Ishinomake facility.  It is the biggest facility.  Most communities were served by regional facilities like Ishinomaki.  Operation started in March of 2012 and must be complete by March 2014.  They are pretty much on schedule.

Material is first separated into concrete waste, wood waste, sediment and mixed waste (everything else).  The concrete, wood and sediment is sorted again, sifted, crushed, washed and prepared for reuse.  Mixed waste comes to the facility and goes through a rough separation process where mementos, hazardous materials and recyclable materials are removed.  It is then shredded, crushed and screened and incinerated.  There are five huge incinerators working all the time.  The ash from the incineration process is stabilized and used where possible.  Most reuse must be local on ports since people are worried about radiation.  However, this area also experienced about 3 feet of subduction due to the movement of the earth's plates so there is a lot of filling to be done!

At the Ishinomaki facility about 1,500 tons per day is processed.  The total cost of the facility is about $1.4 billion and is all contracted out to large consortia of construction companies.