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Hokkaido Orders Solar Developer to Deliver Soil-Contamination Report With Construction Still Halted

National scrutiny now extends to planned site inspections alongside a possible tightening of rare‑species protections.

Overview

  • Hokkaido moved to summon Japanese Ecology executives and demanded prompt submission of soil-pollution survey results for the Kushiro Wetland-area megasolar project.
  • The prefecture continues to instruct the company to keep construction suspended until the soil investigations are completed.
  • The Culture Agency is preparing to send staff to the site to check potential impacts on protected species such as the red‑crowned crane.
  • The Environment Ministry has begun meetings on law changes that could introduce penalties related to rare‑species protection, with this case helping catalyze the review.
  • Reporting indicates roughly 20% of the planned site was sold to a Singapore‑linked investor, as Hokkaido separately steps up information sharing with eight municipalities.