Press release : 123 Public Comments Submitted on Chiba Offshore CCS Exploratory Drilling Were Almost Entirely Concerned or Opposed

Climate7.10.2026

Originally published on July 1, 2026 in Japanese

Friends of the Earth Japan (FoE Japan) has issued the following press release regarding the Metropolitan CCS Project currently being promoted off the coast of Kujukuri, Chiba Prefecture.

123 Public Comments Submitted on Chiba Offshore CCS Exploratory Drilling Were Almost Entirely Concerned or Opposed

Information Disclosure Reveals Public Opposition
Residents’ concerns ignored as METI approves exploratory drilling.

Through an information disclosure request concerning the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry’s (METI) gathering stakeholder’s opinion conducted as part of the approval process for exploratory drilling for carbon capture and storage (CCS) off the coast of Kujukuri, Chiba Prefecture, FoE Japan has confirmed that almost all of the 123 public comments submitted expressed concerns about, or opposition to, the exploratory drilling or the CCS project itself. Not a single comment expressing support for or a positive view of the drilling was identified.

Despite this, METI concluded that the project would present “no interference with the public interest" and granted permission for the exploratory drilling on April 15, 2026. Furthermore, in its published document summarizing public comments and the ministry’s responses, METI stated that it had received only “six comments regarding the exploratory drilling." This indicates that the overwhelming majority of comments were not properly reflected and also reveals that METI improperly narrowed the scope of who qualified as an “interested party" eligible to submit opinions.

FoE Japan believes these findings demonstrate that the concerns of local residents and other stakeholders were not adequately reflected in the decision-making process, and that the planned exploratory drilling should therefore be reconsidered.

The information obtained through the disclosure request revealed the following:

123 substantive comments were submitted. (Although 125 submissions—including emails and written forms—were disclosed, two contained no substantive comments and were excluded from the analysis.)
Almost every submission expressed concerns about or opposition to the exploratory drilling or the CCS project.
No comments expressing support, approval, or a positive view of the project were identified.
At least 33 submissions explicitly stated that the commenter resided in municipalities directly facing the proposed drilling area—Sosa City, Yokoshibahikari Town, Sanmu City, and Kujukuri Town. Including comments indicating residence, employment, or regular use of services in the coastal area without specifying an exact municipality, at least 60 submissions came from people with clear ties to the region. Because the addresses of submitters were redacted in the disclosed documents, the actual number of local residents may be even higher.
No public comments were submitted regarding the exploratory drilling permit for the Tomakomai CCS project.

The comments submitted raised concerns in particular about:

Safety risks, including earthquakes and CO₂ leakage;
The lack of information disclosure and inadequate communication and dialogue with local residents;
Potential impacts on the environment and local industries;
Questions regarding the large amount of public funding and wasteful use of taxpayers’ money;
Risks and burdens imposed on future generations;
Doubts about the necessity of CCS and its effectiveness as a climate change mitigation measure; and
The view that emissions reductions should be achieved at their source rather than relying on CCS.

FoE Japan categorized the opinions expressed in the submissions into seven major themes—concerns about safety, earthquakes, environmental impacts, impacts on local industries, inadequate public explanation, economic efficiency and wasteful use of taxpayers’ money, and opposition to CCS policies. The results are shown below.

Safety concerns	Earthquake concerns	Environmental concerns	Concerns about impacts on local industries	Inadequate explanation and information disclosure	Economic concerns / wasteful use of taxpayers’ money	Opposition to CCS or CCS-related policy
53	40	48	15	25	29	46

As FoE Japan and local residents have consistently pointed out, the current exploratory drilling is not merely a geological survey. The applicant for the drilling permit is Metropolitan CCS Co., Ltd., making it clear that the drilling forms part of the broader Metropolitan CCS Project. The exploratory drilling is an integral step toward the future implementation of the full-scale CCS project and cannot be considered separately from the project itself.

According to the current schedule, exploratory drilling is expected to begin as early as July. In light of the findings revealed through the information disclosure, FoE Japan calls on the Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry to:

Suspend the commencement of the exploratory drilling;
Reconsider its decision to grant the drilling permit in light of the stakeholder opinions submitted;
Ensure full information disclosure and meaningful stakeholder participation regarding the Metropolitan CCS Project as a whole; and
Conduct a comprehensive assessment of the project’s impacts, including through an environmental impact assessment.

Quotes

Ayumi Fukakusa, Friends of the Earth Japan

“The information disclosure has revealed that almost all of the 123 submissions expressed concerns about or opposition to the project. Nevertheless, METI proceeded with granting the drilling permit. This clearly demonstrates a serious lack of transparency in the decision-making process and suggests that residents’ views were not reflected in policy decisions at all. CCS is a project that could have long-term impacts on local communities and the marine environment. Exploratory drilling should not proceed without sufficient information disclosure, meaningful dialogue with local residents, and a comprehensive environmental impact assessment. Moving ahead under the current circumstances risks leaving a lasting negative legacy for future generations.”

Tomomi Shinada, Kujukuri Sea Protection Association
“As one of the people who submitted an opinion, I was interested in reading the other submissions. I own a house close to the coastline and was therefore able to clearly demonstrate that I had a direct interest in the project from the perspective of its potential impact on the coastal landscape. I also deliberately framed my submission so that it addressed the exploratory drilling itself. As a result, it appears that my opinion was included among the six comments that METI summarized and published. Looking at those six comments, however, it is clear that METI interpreted the term “stakeholder" relatively broadly—for example, comments from people who simply visit the beach regularly were included. Despite this, it is extremely puzzling that only six comments were reported.

Every person who submitted an opinion described, in one way or another, their concrete relationship with the sea and should therefore have been regarded as a stakeholder. Even submissions that explicitly referred to the exploratory drilling itself were not counted. The ministry released its summary of the comments on the very same day that it granted the drilling permit. Did it feel some hesitation about approving a project despite receiving only opposing opinions? What, then, was the purpose of soliciting stakeholders’ opinions in the first place?”

Takako Momoi, Kiko Network

“Although 123 stakeholder submissions were received, METI published only 17 comments, effectively excluding or disregarding the remaining opinions. Unless the ministry explains why it chose not to disclose the vast majority of the submissions, it is difficult to avoid the suspicion that citizens’ voices that were inconvenient to the government’s policy decision were intentionally made less visible. Nearly all of the submissions expressed concerns or opposition, and none expressed support for the project. Nevertheless, METI approved the exploratory drilling. This can only be described as a process in which the conclusion had already been decided and public input was not reflected in policy-making.

CCS risks becoming an excuse for prolonging the use of fossil fuels while delaying genuine emissions reductions at their source. Even though this is described as “exploratory drilling," it is in fact a project of considerable scale that will rely on substantial public funding. It is therefore an issue that concerns the public as a whole, meaning that everyone has a legitimate stake in the decision.

There is also concern that, without adequate public explanation, opportunities for public participation, transparency in decision-making, and accountability to future generations, the exploratory drilling will proceed and eventually lead to full-scale implementation of the CCS project by default.

METI should suspend the commencement of the exploratory drilling and reconsider its decision to grant the permit.”

Press release : 123 Public Comments Submitted on Chiba Offshore CCS Exploratory Drilling Were Almost Entirely Concerned or Opposed

123 Public Comments Submitted on Chiba Offshore CCS Exploratory Drilling Were Almost Entirely Concerned or Opposed

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