September 4, 2014

Sep 4, 2014 | Fukushima Accident Updates

  • A Japanese lawyers’ group wants Tepco to accept all damage settlements. Lawyers with the Japan Federation of Bar Associations (JFBA) say the company has not kept its promise to respect damage compensation decisions of the Science Ministry’s dispute center. The center has settled more than 8,000 claims since 3/11/11. But, lawyers say Tepco has recently rejected a number of settlement proposals, including a class action suit filed by about 15,000 residents of Namie. Yuichi Kaido, JFBA’s compensation head, says Tepco’s rejection of the claim settlement is causing further suffering among the town’s residents. NHK World; Lawyers call on TEPCO to accept settlements; 9/1/14
  • Fukushima death compensation amounts are challenged. The Nuclear Damage Claim Dispute Resolution Center (ADR) has set the causal relationship between post-accident deaths and the accident-itself at roughly 50% of the “standard amount” comparable to traffic fatality compensation. The standard has been set at $200,000, and the ADR decides what percentage of the standard should be awarded. Of the roughly 120 compensation proposals attributed to the nuke accident, about 40% have a contribution ratio of 50 percent, another 40% have a ratio below 50%, and the rest were set at over 50% of the standard. While traffic death culpability is rather clear-cut, the relationship between the nuke accident and a person’s subsequent death is not clear. This methodology was put to the test by a recent Fukushima court decision concerning the suicide (self-immolation) of a woman evacuated from inside the mandated exclusion zone. Tepco argued that the compensation should have been what the ADR decided, at much less than 50% of the standard…below $100,000. But the Fukushima court judged that the nuke accident was 80% of the reason for her suicide and awarded $490,000 in damages to her spouse. This has opened the door for other applicants to sue Tepco for more than the ADR decides upon. Lawyer Motomitsu Nakagawa said, “It has become clear that the ADR cannot be trusted. It raises the question as to who the ADR is working for. Unless our clients ask for it, we will not use the ADR any longer.” http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20140902p2a00m0na018000c.html
  • Japan’s nuclear watchdog will use on-going volcano eruption criteria. The Nuclear Regulation Authority already has volcanic mitigation measures in their nuclear rules, including the removal of fuel from a nuke station. The NRA met with volcanologists on Tuesday to discuss potential worst-case scenarios. The watchdog said they need scientific methods for signs of an impending volcanic eruption. Volcanologists said the NRA and/or nuclear utilities cannot determine these signs on their own, so they should cooperate with local volcanic observatories and government agencies. NRA Commissioner Kunihiko Shimazaki said it’s necessary to incorporate new criteria based on the latest information on volcanic activity. NHK World; NRA to study possible volcanic eruptions; 9/2/14
  • Fukushima Governor Sato will not seek re-election. He has been governor since 2006, and said he will leave to task of Fukushima reconstruction to his successor. Sato is a member of the major opposition party, the Democratic Party of Japan. The DPJ is also the party of former PM Naoto Kan. Last week, Sato agreed to Tokyo’s building rural contaminated waste storage facilities in Futaba and Okuma. http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2014090400683
  • The NRA has re-stated that a fault under a Tsuruga nuke is active. Last year, the NRA decided that the fault had moved within the past 120,000 years, but Japan Atomic Power Company submitted new data hoping to reverse the judgment. The NRA’s seismic panel reviewed the new data, but felt it was insufficient to change their initial finding. Japco now has no choice but to decommission and dismantle Tsuruga unit #2. http://english.kyodonews.jp/news/2014/09/310389.html