Japan court orders gov't, TEPCO to pay in Fukushima disaster
A Japanese court has found negligence by the government and the operator of the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant in failing to take measures to prevent the 2011 nuclear disaster, ordering them to jointly pay some $9.5 million in damages to thousands of residents for their lost livelihoods
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.A Japanese court on Wednesday found the government and the operator of the wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant negligent for failing to take measures to prevent the 2011 nuclear disaster, ordering them to pay some 1 billion yen ($9.5 million) in damages to thousands of residents for their lost livelihoods.
The Sendai High Court found fault with the government in the triple meltdowns, saying the regulatory agency at the time could have predicted a major tsunami way before the disaster, according to lawyers representing the more than 3,600 plaintiffs.
The ruling was a major victory for the plaintiffs and an initial high court decision that could set a precedent for other similar lawsuits pending across the country, according to the plaintiffs' head lawyer, Izutaro Managi.
The court also ordered the government and the plant's operator, the Tokyo Electric Power Co., to pay damages to the plaintiffs, doubling the amount that a lower court had ordered only TEPCO to pay in 2017.
The earlier ruling also said a tsunami risk was foreseeable and the disaster could have been avoided if the government had ordered TEPCO to take proper preventive measures.
The high court said Wednesday that regulators at the government's now-defunct Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency should have foreseen a tsunami as high as 15.7 meters (51.5 feet) based on an experts' assessment in 2002.
The court said both the government and TEPCO, despite knowing the tsunami risks, neglected to conduct risk assessment or take safety steps, according to the lawyers.
The plaintiffs sought monthly compensation of about 50,000 yen ($470) per person until radiation levels subside to pre-disaster levels, demanding a total of 28 billion yen ($265 million).
The government argued that it was impossible to predict the tsunami or prevent the subsequent disaster. TEPCO says it has fulfilled its compensation responsibility under government guidelines.
Radiation that spewed from the plant's melted reactors contaminated the surrounding neighborhoods, forcing about 160,000 residents to evacuate at one point. More than 50,000 of them are still displaced because of lingering safety concerns.
The plant is being decommissioned, a process expected to take decades.
Subscribe to Independent Premium to bookmark this article
Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Premium subscription today.