Japan Press Weekly

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2009 June 24 - 30 [ENVIRONMENT]

JCP proposes relief for all Minamata-disease victims

The move came as a counterproposal to the Liberal Democratic Party, Komei, and the Democratic Party of Japan seeking to disregard the victims and acquit the guilty party - Chisso Corp.

Consultations are under way between the ruling coalition of the LDP and Komei and the main parliamentary opposition DPJ with the aim of modifying the ruling-party bill in order to enact it in the current Diet session.

JCP Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi on June 29 called a news conference in the Diet and criticized these three parties for trying to draw a curtain over “the Minamata disease problem, the first major pollution-caused disease in Japan.”

He proposed that the existing Pollution-Related Health Damage Compensation Act be partially revised as follows:

(1) To have a provision on standards and documents needed for official recognition as Minamata-disease victims based on the Supreme Court ruling in 2004, and conclude a new compensation agreement with the victims while clarifying the responsibilities of the offending corporation, the government, and prefectural governments concerned;

(2) To stipulate the conduct of environmental research and health studies, including health effects, on residents living on the coast of the Sea of Shiranui in Kumamoto Prefecture and at the basin of the Agano River in Niigata Prefecture; and

(3) To include a provision on holding hearings in the Act to hear the opinions of victims and experts about legislation on new accreditation criteria and standards for compensation. - Akahata, June 30, 2009