Pollutant

[PRTR system]

Under the PRTR (Pollution Release and Transfer Register) system, operators keep track of the amount of each chemical substance subjected to PRTR that are released during operational activities, as well as the amount transferred as waste. The results are then reported. This system aims to promote voluntary management efforts by operators together with society as a whole, fostering countermeasures against environmental risks imposed by such chemical substances.

Following European and North American countries, the Law Concerning Reporting, etc. of Releases to the Environment of Specific Chemical Substances and Promoting Improvements in Their Management (PRTR Law) was established in Japan in July 1999. Implementation of the law will be followed in fiscal year 2002 by the disclosure of research results compiled by the national government.

• PRTR mechanism

1.	Operators shall keep track of the chemical substances released from each business premise into the environment, and report it to the national government through prefectures. (This is a compulsory procedure.)
2.	The national government shall aggregate the data submitted for each chemical substance in categories according to industry and region, and disclose this information publicly and notify concerned prefectures of the results.
3.	The national government shall estimate and aggregate the amount released by general households, farms, automobiles and other sources separately, and disclose the information publicly together with 2 above.
4.	The national government shall disclose the information regarding each business office upon public request, keeping business operations confidential.

Under the PRTR Law, operators are required to keep track of the amount of certain released chemical substances from April 2001. However, Kyushu Electric has taken the initiative in investigation and data collection, and the results for fiscal 1999 are shown in the table below. Kyushu Electric is committed to future improvements of its management system.

•PRTR investigation results (FY 1999)

(Unit: tons/year)

Chemical substance	Application	Released amount	Transferred amount
Hydrazine	Feed water processing agent	0.0008	0
Manganese^*	Flue gas desulfurization agent	0.14	0
Trichloro trifluoroethane	Cleaning agent	3.6	0
tris (dimethyl phenyl)phosphate	For turbine control	0	11

* Inclusive of compounds. Dioxins are under investigation.

[Dioxins]

Dioxins were subjected to control under the Air Pollution Control Law and "the Waste Disposal and Public Cleaning Law " until the proclamation of the Law Concerning Special Measures against Dioxins in July 1999.

In order to curb dioxin emissions as much as possible, Kyushu Electric reduced the use of general waste incinerators and industrial waste incinerators to the greatest extent possible. Kyushu Electric is committed to the appropriate management of incinerators still in use as governed by laws and regulations, including reporting to proper authorities.

•Number of Kyushu Electric waste incinerators

	As of the end of FY 1999^*
General waste incinerators	56 units
Industrial waste incinerators	7 units

* Those reported under the Law Concerning Special Measures against Dioxins (incineration ability 50kg/h or more)

[Polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB)]

PCB had been utilized for electric equipment such as transformers because of its excellent heat resistance, insulation and chemical stability, until its toxicity was discovered. In 1972, the manufacturing of PCB was prohibited, and strict storage and management became compulsory for PCB ownership.

Kyushu Electric owns some equipment that contains PCB, and exercises utmost care in storing and managing this equipment at special storage places. Currently, Kyushu Electric is examining the possibility of treating such equipment to render it harmless, under the Waste Disposal and Public Cleaning Law.