Class action nuclear power plant decision by Sendai High Court today

Class action nuclear power plant decision by Sendai High Court today Do you accept responsibility of the country? Focus September 30, 4:54

The Sendai High Court said on the 30th in a class action lawsuit in which more than 3,600 people, including residents living in Fukushima Prefecture, sought compensation from the government and TEPCO, alleging that the accident at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station damaged the foundation of their lives. I will hand down the judgment.

This is the first time that the two courts have disputed the responsibility of the country of the nuclear accident, and the court's decision is noteworthy.

In this case, more than 3,600 people, including residents and evacuees who continue to live in Fukushima Prefecture after the nuclear accident, are seeking compensation from the government and TEPCO for suffering mental distress due to damage to their livelihoods.

It is the largest class action lawsuit filed across the country.

At the trial, it was disputed whether the government and TEPCO were able to predict a large-scale tsunami and prevent damage, and whether the amount of compensation indicated in the guidelines by the national examination committee was appropriate. Three years ago, the Fukushima District Court ordered a total of more than 490 million yen in compensation, saying, "If the government ordered TEPCO to take measures against the tsunami, the nuclear accident could have been prevented."

The judgment of the second instance of this case will be handed down at the Sendai High Court at 2:00 pm on the 30th.

This is the first time that the two courts have disputed the responsibility of the country of the nuclear accident, and it may affect future trials in various places, so the judgment will be watched.

The feature of this trial is

According to the plaintiffs' defense team, the number of plaintiffs in this case is more than 3,600, which is the largest class action lawsuit filed nationwide over the accident at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station.

The trial was filed on March 11, 2013, just two years after the nuclear accident, with 800 residents in Fukushima and surrounding prefectures responsible for the national government and TEPCO, and 50,000 per person per month. He sought compensation for the yen and restoration of the area with high radiation levels.

After that, plaintiffs joined one after another, and the plaintiffs came to be called "livelihood litigation" because their slogan was "return the livelihood and return the area."

Three years ago, the Fukushima District Court of the first instance acknowledged the responsibility of the government and TEPCO, and ordered about 2,900 plaintiffs to pay a total of more than 490 million yen.

However, the plaintiff also appealed this decision because not only the defendant's country and TEPCO but also the appeal for restoration to the original state was dismissed and the scope of compensation was limited.

At the second trial hearing at the Sendai High Court, which began in a quiet manner, we heard stories from tsunami engineering experts, and also visited sites by judges in Namie Town and Tomioka Town, Fukushima Prefecture, near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant. Was also done.

National Responsibility 1 Judgment is divided

According to the plaintiffs' defense team, about 30 class action lawsuits have been filed in 18 prefectures nationwide by people living in Fukushima Prefecture over the accident at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station. The number of people is about 12,000.

Of these, 13 have been decided by the first instance so far, and TEPCO has been ordered to compensate in all the decisions.

On the other hand, the national responsibility was recognized in 7 cases such as the Maebashi District Court, but not in 6 cases such as the Chiba District Court, and the judgments are divided.

The judgment of the second trial is the first on the 30th, and the content of the judgment may affect the trials in each region.

Plaintiff's fruit farmer "a judgment that saves the heart"

One of the plaintiffs, Tetsuya Abe (57) from Fukushima City, has been a fruit farmer for nearly 90 years since his grandfather's generation.

We cultivated pears and apples and shipped them to many customers every year, but the situation changed completely after the nuclear accident.

Orders for gifts have almost disappeared, and sales have dropped significantly.

Mr. Abe said, "Before the nuclear accident, some people ordered 10 boxes by themselves, but after the accident, more people said,'I will buy it for my home but not as a gift.' The price is also high due to the influence of radioactive substances. It has fallen and is recovering little by little, but it has not yet returned to its pre-earthquake price. "

Although TEPCO has compensated for the decrease in sales, the impact of the nuclear accident is not limited to these economic aspects.

Mr. Abe accepted local junior high school students' hands-on learning at the orchard every year in order to encourage children to learn about the long-standing local industry.

I was looking forward to reading the student reports and impressions I received after studying four times a year, but these opportunities were forced to stop for seven years due to the nuclear accident and resumed two years ago, but as before. It means that it cannot be done on a large scale.

Mr. Abe said, "In places where decontamination has not been done, the amount of radiation is still five to eight times higher than usual, and there are concerns about the health effects on children, so experiential learning has become impossible. The smiles of the children who were running around and plucking the grass and touching the ground were impressive, and it is regrettable and disappointing that such contact and learning opportunities have disappeared. " It was.

Even now, nine and a half years after the nuclear accident, Mr. Abe says that every time he sees related news, he realizes that the nuclear accident is not over yet, and the anger and loss at that time are rising.

Mr. Abe said, "Not only the damage that can be converted into monetary amount such as sluggish sales due to reputational damage, but also the mental stress caused by pollution of farmland and health anxiety, and the feeling of loss that is disconnected from the community is the most. I wanted to sue, so I think the point is not to spend money, but to show how close the victims are to the judgment. It's been nine and a half years since the earthquake, so I think this high court decision will be one of the reasons. I want a decision that will save my heart and give me peace of mind. "