In Ishikawa Prefecture, Shika Town, Japan, local government officials announced the appearance of a giant pipe measuring approximately 150 meters that washed up on the coastal area of Shika Town. The pipe bears the name of a Chinese company. The cleanup of the pipe is set to commence starting next week.
According to reports from Kyodo News and NHK, the estimated weight of the pipe is around 300 tons, with a maximum diameter of approximately 2 meters, indicating it may have been used for dredging operations. Officials mentioned that the pipe is labeled with the name of a Chinese company. The prefectural government has reached out to the Chinese company but has been unable to determine the owner of the pipe or its original usage location.
The prefectural government plans to start the cleanup operation of this massive object from Monday onwards (June 15). The pipe will be cut into segments and then transported to a waste disposal facility. Officials aim to complete the cleanup around autumn this year, with an estimated cost of about 50 million Japanese yen (approximately 312,000 US dollars).
Since the owner of the pipe cannot be identified, it is expected that the cleanup costs will be shared between the Japanese central government and the prefectural government, with the majority of the expenses covered by the garbage cleanup subsidy provided by the central government.
Officials revealed that Shika Town, a coastal town, reported the suspected pipe drift to the prefectural government on December 17 last year.
A man over 50 years old who went to the coast to witness the pipe told NHK that he was surprised because the pipe was even larger than he had imagined.
Oka Hideo, an official from the prefectural recycling department, expressed the hope of promptly removing the hose to ensure the safety and peace of mind of local residents.