Solar Power Generation around National Park

The government of Hokkaido issued a recommendation to a developer of mega solar photovoltaic power generation around Kushiroshitsugen National Park located in eastern part of the Hokkaido Island. The park preserves diversified wildlife, including wetland plants, cranes or brown bears. The recommendation represents current extensive development for renewable energy.

 

The plan of building a large site for solar power generation is ongoing slightly out of the area of the national park. Although the recommendation does not have mandatory power to stop the development, the construction of mega solar power generation site is halted. The developer is installing 6,600 pieces of photovoltaic panels on the land with 4.3 hectare of space.

 

The Forest Act demands a development of 0.5 hectare of forest or more to receive permission from the prefectural governor. After the prefectural government researched the development plan, it found that the construction of the site would erode 0.86 hectare of forest around Kishiroshitsugen National Park. The developer is going to decide to resubmit its reviewed plan or stop the construction and replant the woods.

 

Kishiroshitugen is the largest marsh in Japan, making a home for red-crowned cranes, which is a special national natural monument of Japan, and white-tail eagles, a national natural monument. In the long and meandering river lives Sakhalin taimen, which is the biggest freshwater fish in Japan. Thanking cloudy weather in summer with low air temperature, the national park is rich in alpine plants, including polemoniaceous flowers listed as one of the rare species.

 

An industrial development may have a negative impact on the wild life. It is possible that the land around the national park is the place for the cranes to build their nests and to raise their juveniles. The mega solar power generation may need broad land to set photovoltaic panels and related buildings to control the site or roads on which cars are frequently coming and going.

 

The mayor of Kushiro city, Hidenori Tsuruma, had a meeting with the officials with Ministry of Environment to discuss possible measures against excessive development around the national park. Tsuruma requested to review current laws for local governments to take stricter measures against industrial development. The city is considering to pass a bill of ordinance which enable the city to regulate with requirement of permission for solar power generation with certain volume.

 

Building mega solar power generation causes arguments over environmental impacts everywhere in Japan. In cases building mega-solar power generation in hillside, the residents are worried about landslides. While the Ministry of Environment considers necessary regulation, the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry promotes development of renewable energy. It is the role of politics to balance environmental protection and economic growth over renewable energy. 

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