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Japan court rejects compensation for nuclear accident
Tokyo (AFP) Feb 27, 2008 A court Wednesday rejected compensation demands over Japan's worst-ever nuclear accident in 1999, which left two people dead. The court turned down the only case filed over health damages linked to the accident, deciding that plaintiffs' injuries were not caused by the disaster in Ibaraki prefecture, 150 kilometres (90 miles) north of Tokyo. Japan, which has few natural resources, relies on nuclear power for about one-third of its needs despite frequent protests. Plaintiffs Shoichi Oizumi, 79, and his 68-year-old wife, Keiko, ran an auto parts factory about 120 metres (yards) from the uranium processing plant. They sued operator JCO Co. Ltd and its parent Sumitomo Metal Mining. Shoichi Oizumi complained that his skin problem worsened while his wife said she suffered post-traumatic stress disorder after the accident. They demanded 57 million yen (538,000 dollars) in compensation. But Mito District Court presiding Judge Hirofumi Shida said: "The court does not recognise that the accident and radiation caused their health problems." "The plaintiff's skin problem might have worsened due to elements unrelated to the accident," Shida said, adding that the wife could also not medically prove that she had post-traumatic stress disorder. Japan's worst nuclear accident hit the Tokaimura plant in 1999 after workers poured too much uranium into a precipitation tank. The workers could do nothing but watch helplessly as more than 600 people were exposed to radiation, with 320,000 people ordered to stay indoors for more than a day. Two of the workers who triggered the disaster later died from their injuries in hospital. The Oizumis plan to appeal the verdict. "I'm really disappointing but I'll never accept defeat," Shoichi Oizumi said after the ruling. The two defendant companies jointly welcomed the ruling, saying it gave legal basis to their position. Six JCO employees were arrested in October 2000 on charges of professional negligence and violating nuclear safety laws. But the Oizumis were the only local residents who filed demands for compensation for alleged health problems. Japan had another scare in July when the world's largest nuclear plant, in Niigata prefecture northwest of Tokyo, was hit by an earthquake. No one was hurt but the plant remains shut as a precaution. Related Links Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Science, Nuclear Technology Powering The World in the 21st Century at Energy-Daily.com
Greenpeace says will challenge completion of Slovak nuclear plant
Bratislava (AFP) Feb 23, 2007The Slovak branch of environmental organisation Greenpeace said on Tuesday it will launch a legal challenge against plans by Slovakia's biggest electricity producer to complete two blocs of a nuclear power plant. |
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