It is made from a blend of crushed rock, rubber and polyurethane, a synthetic plastic that replaces bitumen as the binding agent and allows even bigger pores in the road surface.

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"We have reached the evaluation that the D-1 area of crushed rock in the premises of the Tsuruga power plant needs to be taken into consideration from the perspective of quake-resistant design, " Kunihiko Shimazaki, deputy chairman of the authority, told reporters during a news conference following a panel meeting where the report was approved.

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That rock also had to be crushed, then transported to a plant where it was cooked to extract the oil and gas.

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