Amendment to PCB Waste Proper Treatment Special Measures Act and JESCO Act

The Ministry of the Environment explains that the high-concentration PCB treatment programme operated by JESCO ended in March 2026. The amendment shifts emphasis toward low-concentration PCB products still in use and their eventual treatment as waste.

The enacted law provides for notification of ownership, use and location of low-concentration PCB-containing products and their management under Cabinet Order standards. It also provides for notification when use ends or PCB waste is discovered, and disposal within a period set by Cabinet Order. The amendment removes JESCO's PCB waste treatment business from its statutory functions.

Sources: [1] [2] [3] [4]

The Cabinet approved the bill on 10 April 2026. The House of Representatives passed it on 26 May, and the House of Councillors passed it on 12 June 2026. It was promulgated on 19 June 2026 as Act No. 44 of 2026.

The House of Councillors' official summary states that the main provisions take effect on 1 April 2027, with exceptions. The Ministry of the Environment has also convened a committee to consider implementing Cabinet Orders and ministerial ordinances.

1. 2026-04-10 — Cabinet bill submitted to the Diet [1] [2]
2. 2026-05-26 — Passed by the House of Representatives [1]
3. 2026-06-12 — Passed by the House of Councillors; enacted [1]
4. 2026-06-19 — Promulgated as Act No. 44 of 2026 [1]
5. 2027-04-01 — Scheduled main commencement, subject to exceptions [1]

The timeline of related official records below lists the records this dashboard has matched.

Sources: [1] [2] [3] [4]

Confirmed next steps

• The main provisions are scheduled to take effect on 1 April 2027, except for provisions governed by other commencement rules. [1]

Expected procedural steps

The usual procedure for this kind of instrument; not a forecast for this reform.

• Implementing Cabinet Orders and ministerial ordinances normally clarify notification forms, management standards and disposal periods before commencement; adoption dates must be verified separately.

Outstanding uncertainties

• The precise deadlines for disposal after cessation of use or discovery, and detailed management standards, depend on subordinate rules; they should not be guessed.
• Existing PCB disposal requirements and transitional rules must be checked independently; a future main commencement date does not suspend current obligations.

Businesses owning transformers, capacitors and other potentially PCB-containing equipment should determine whether they possess low-concentration PCB products and whether the items remain in use or have become waste.

Potentially affected owners should prepare records of equipment location, ownership, use and expected cessation, and plan compliant treatment once the applicable rules and periods are confirmed. The amendment is not a blanket obligation to dispose of every item immediately. The Ministry of the Environment currently identifies 31 March 2027 as the existing low-concentration PCB waste disposal deadline; the 1 April 2027 main commencement must not be interpreted as an automatic extension.

Points to check

• Survey potentially PCB-containing electrical equipment and confirm classification.
• Separate records for equipment still in use from PCB waste already held.
• Monitor the implementing rules for notification details, management standards and disposal periods.
• Check existing disposal obligations and transitional provisions rather than relying solely on the 2027 main commencement date.

Sources: [1] [2] [3] [4]