Fukuoka town pays 30 million yen annually to treat heavy metal wastewater from a century-old mine

A mine closed over 100 years ago in Hisayama Town, Fukuoka Prefecture, continues to discharge wastewater containing heavy metals. The town is responsible for the ongoing treatment of this wastewater, which costs approximately 30 million yen annually. This expense is shared between the national government and the local municipality. The mine, which operated from the Meiji to Taisho eras, closed in the Showa era. The town began managing the wastewater treatment around 1975, as the operating company no longer exists.