Study Finds Dumps Could Overflow Soon

Japan will run out of sites to dump its industrial waste in less than four years if current trends continue, according to a new government study.

If Japan keeps generating industrial waste at current rates, sites for its disposal will become full in about 3.7 years, with dumps in the greater Tokyo area reaching their capacity in just 1.2 years, according to a study released Friday by the Ministry of the Environment.

Part of the problem is that one of the biggest producers of waste--the construction industry--is a favorite of the Japanese government, which spends heavily on roads, dams and other public works projects.