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Families who left radiation zone voluntarily ask TEPCO for compensation

28 Comments

A group representing more than 400 families who left their homes in Fukushima of their accord because of concerns over radiation rallied in front of Tokyo Electric Power Co's headquarters in Tokyo on Friday.

The group is seeking more than 1.2 billion yen in compensation.

A new set of guidelines released by a government panel on Aug 5 increased the categories and numbers of people and businesses to be compensated by TEPCO for financial and emotional damages caused by the continuing crisis at the stricken Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

The guidelines say that businesses, such as hotels, ryokans, restaurants and tour operators, which have lost business due to canceled reservations, and food exporters who have seen their business decline because of radiation worries, should be eligible for compensation. Farmers in prefectures where cattle were fed rice straw that was contaminated will also receive compensation under the new guidelines.

Residents forced to leave their homes are included in the list, but not those who left of their own accord. Representatives of this group presented a petition to TEPCO officials Friday, claiming financial and emotional losses.

A TEPCO official told the group that the utility will follow the government's guidelines for compensation.

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Residents forced to leave their homes are included in the list, but not those who left of their own accord. Representatives of this group presented a petition to TEPCO officials Friday, claiming financial and emotional losses.

A TEPCO official told the group that the utility will follow the government’s guidelines for compensation.

How CONVENIENT!!!! This Corrupted/shameless government always protecting TEPCO's interests over people's lives. How come I'm not surprised at this??

0 ( +2 / -2 )

BlueWitch.

Got to disagree if they had the funds(private or company) to evacuate/relocate themselves early on why should they get the same hand-out money as people that couldn't do so?

Those are our taxes and they should support the truly needy not the rich that can move at will.

Just my view.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

BlueWitch.

Got to disagree if they had the funds(private or company) to evacuate/relocate themselves early on why should they get the same hand-out money as people that couldn't do so?

Those are our taxes and they should support the truly needy not the rich that can move at will.

Just my view.

It depends, if those who left had no choice nor money and were leaving in high risk areas, I say give them some compensation, but those with good income and resources, no compensation is necessary I guess. Still, you are low income and had no other choice than moving away, you should receive AID.

No need to worry about disagreeing with me, if we all thought the same thing, the forum would be useless and boring..lol =)

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Ahh, except you forgot to mention "at me", the gov, & TEPCO, rebuked SPEEDI's & outside professionals advice, &.in doing so kept people inside the danger zone there, so therefor said people evakuate, or suffer the consequences. I for one would have evacuated, as current relasesvhavr shown was the correct decision, & should be compensated just as others.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@It"S ME

BlueWitch.

Got to disagree if they had the funds(private or company) to evacuate/relocate themselves early on why should they get the same hand-out money as people that couldn't do so?

Those are our taxes and they should support the truly needy not the rich that can move at will.

Just my view.

It depends, if those who left had no choice nor money and were living in high risk areas, I say give them some compensation, but those with good income and resources, no compensation is necessary I guess. Still, if you are low income and had no other choice than moving away, you should receive AID.

No need to worry about disagreeing with me, if we all thought the same thing, the forum would be useless and boring..lol =)

1 ( +2 / -1 )

We are in agreement.

It all depends on the circumstances of the aid receiver and thus a universal pay-out would be contrary. Thus the government has laid down rules which circumstances(people) are eligible and which are not.

Not any different from any other government pay-out globally.

Just my view.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

BlueWitch.

Don't take this wrong. But I found you very opposed to your own government but I do feel you haven't experienced other governments overseas and thus tend to swing to extremes in your views.

Many posters here have done so and lived under different governments and in different countries.

Not saying the J-Gov is a good one but it is no better or worse than others I have lived under.

Just my view.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

@It"S ME

BlueWitch.

Don't take this wrong. But I found you very opposed to your own government but I do feel you haven't experienced other governments overseas and thus tend to swing to extremes in your views.

Many posters here have done so and lived under different governments and in different countries.

Not saying the J-Gov is a good one but it is no better or worse than others I have lived under.

Just my view.

Many people ask me the same thing, and I understand because I lived in the U.S. when I was a University student. Not saying that the U.S. government is perfect or better than many other governments but I can tell you that MY government is way behind the U.S. in many factors. Especially child-welfare and protection laws, pornography laws, etc. Here they insist to keep archaic 120+ years old laws that just don't fit in our current modern times. They insist in keeping some "traditions/customs" that are way outdated in a modern metropolis. They want to be higher than G7 and secure a seat in the U.N. but yet they insist in denying their war atrocities. They keep themselves behind!! I learned more about my country's war history in the U.S. than when I was studying in here. imagine! We are kept in the dark, we are simply told it's not necessary to learn such things in our upbringing. Hmmm... anyway, I don't say I hate my country, but many things about the government makes me very ashamed. My husband who works for a Foreign company agrees that he is better off working for them and getting good pay and excellent benefits than working for your average local company with all their restrictions and mistreatment.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Bluewitch.

Thx, I suspected you lived overseas during your formative years and thus got influenced. As for your Husband I can't blame him in choice of company.

But if you studied more about the country you lived in overseas you might have a different view. Just the way I feel.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Here we are again. The government sets some arbitrary rules and anybody who got damaged but doesn't fit the rules has to fight for decades in court because everybody will refer to the stupid rules only.

As to the comments about the rich: how many people do you think have the financial means to move to other places for an extended period if not permanently, leaving their houses, jobs etc behind? How many of such rich people do you expect to find in inaka?

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Readers, please stay on topic and do not get personal. Focus your comments on the story, not at each other.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Whether people had the financial means to evacuate or not is irrelevant. The government and TEPCO are at fault 100%. The responsibility is on them to compensate all people in the affected areas. Full stop. There can be NO arguing this.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

OK, live in Tokyo, but had 80% of my work cancelled cos the engineering company I was working for became too busy to have English lessons due to being directly involved in the Fukushima meltdown and shutdown. Why am I not entitled to compensation?

2 ( +3 / -1 )

Why am I not entitled to compensation?

I do not have the right or authority to decide who gets compensation and who doesn't. IMHO I would compensate everybody if it was left up to me. But I am NOT the corrupted/ass-backward government and TEPCO. Now if a person is filthy rich with millions, would you compensate that person over the common folk? I have NOTHING against the RICH, but I would give AID to those in need FIRST.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

The list of victims (physical, psychological, and economic) of this disaster is potentially endless. It would seem that the government is trying to limit it and TEPCO's liability by the parameters that they have chosen. I personally think it unfair to families with young children who have evacuated out of concern for their chindren's (future) health. They and the forgotten others shoud be compensated.

3 ( +3 / -0 )

It's quite difficult to draw a line who gets compensation and who's not. All people in Fukushima prefecture? It would not be fair. I live in Tokatsu area (Kashiwa, Abiko...) that is called "hotspot area". The radiation level here is 0.45microSv/h (5cm above ground according to the municipal government), which is higher than some areas in Fukushima. Some people here are freaking out about it. Are we eligible for compensation? Some Ryokan people in Kyoto are asking for compensation because they got a number of cancellation from tourists overseas and their business is in jeopardy.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Mahiru.

Agree it is tough line to draw and there is no precedent for it.

garymalmgren.

Fine you say compensate them but where does money come from? Are those kids now in goverment or private schools? I would love to have my son in a private school can I get some monies too?

Yours, mine and even Mahiru's taxes and yes, it all comes out of anything we do from now on, may it be property, income, etc taxes and all our daily purchases. Guys in the affected areas are not exempted from paying taxes, loans, etc they might be delayed but will need to be paid in the end. So they pay for their own reconstruction too.

Those are the facts.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

It's ME,

can I get some monies too?

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Fine you say compensate them but where does money come from?

Imagine if the nuclear industry stopped raping average people with inflated electricity bills -- I suppose the money could come from there.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Tepco pay up,afterwards you may consider recouperating some of your losses by sueing the engineers ,architects, building contractor and anyone else allegedly involved in the erection of the nuclear reactors, if in fact it can be proved they had prior knowledge that the siting of the reactors was deemed unsafe in the event of iether earthquakes or tsunamis

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Anyone and I mean anyone affected by this Disaster should be eligible for compensation. The fact that they are Not eligible just shows that there are crooks in high places.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

In order to make a damage claim -you must have damages. Much easier for a business to prove than an individual. And even if you could prove your damages you will most likely be waiting 3-5yrs+ since there will be so many claims. And in 3-5yrs Tepco could easily sell to another company limiting their liability.

There was earthquake and tsunami damages that were not Tepco's fault.

Lawyers/politicians will make money from this, but the common person will make little if any. It is best to move on and get your life back together. If this means you want to move -then so be it. Easy for renters, very difficult for homeowners or property managers.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

two parts Can You Imagine the government stated Residents forced to leave their homes are included in the list, but not those who left of their own accord. Representatives of this group presented a petition to TEPCO officials Friday, claiming financial and emotional losses. And TEPCO official told the group that the utility will follow the government’s guidelines for compensation. The Guide lines of Government do not include these people but yet they are in the area of contamination, Residents should not have to be told to get out, not to be forced to get out as it is #1, the Government was late in telling all in the danger area to get out of an area which they were forced Latter Made larger which to date is still to small as the contamination is definitely outside the Governments zoning area, It does not take a genius to know when it is time to leave a place, especially when it comes to radiation and the Clouds which exist not only in the area a wind is carrying them as when the radiation is carried to higher levels in height or elevation it gets into a different pattern in discharge over the Land as it was also detected in the United States also, Imagine if it is detected in the United States the wide area of the fallout, and the contamination of fish for all fisherman, Shall we follow Government rules when they were also so wrong when Japan was bombed in 1946, look at the areas of contamination and this was one explosion on one day, In this case we have continued day to day contamination with the radiation going into the sky’s each day with the winds blowing in different directions each day, this in itself is the biggest cover-up in the history of Governments around the world,

0 ( +1 / -1 )

This emergency is continuing because TEPCO is trying to save something which is a total loss, the Government has a right to protect its citizens and order TEPCO to cement the Plant immediately and it did not, it is the Government which is allowing this Fiasco to continue, this deathly emergency to go one till all of JAPAN is lost till all Of the Japanese people are sick with cancer, till each have radiation in their bodies, till all of the water systems are carrying the Radiation into every home, Yes and the Poor people that saw that death was near because of company regulated by the Japanese Government did not take proper steps in the running of the plant, these people will not get nothing because they did not wait for a direct order to get out of an area which is contaminated, It is time to get rid of the whole Government and replace every last one of them as the Proof is in this one story, The Generator and Pumps were out in an Un-protected area when the Tsunami came which made it impossible to cool the reactors, the designs were flawed, the Government in a whole did not have the simple knowledge to place these vital pump plants in a secured area where the weather and any storm and any Tsunami could damage it, How simple is that, Yes they say you need a Collage education, but any Fool can foresee what is going to happen without this protection, now we have lost 1/5 of the country because of those in Government! * The Government is fully responsible for this and it is the Government which should be sued for all the damages and a system should be put in place right now for each person, man women and children collecting each day for each days needs, which includes money for food and Hotel and transportation!

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

the Last one If I was there and had the License to file in the Japanese courts, I personally would be filing the papers months ago, as this is for the people by the People and the protection of the civil rights for the People! This is not Aid money it is compensation for losses due to the failure of Government oversight, this is neglect, this is criminal, for the ruling of the government alone the Prime Minister should be handing in his letter of resignation immediately, this has to do with self preservation in seeing when your family is in danger of being killed, Example, If you see a group of tigers who are starving coming at you, do stand there and wait to be eaten or do you move out of the way! No One should be expected to stay in a Place that is a hazard to their children and Wives and themselves Not one person and TEPCO should have taken this on when the plants were damaged, My Heart goes out to all you who have lost so Much! I am so sorry for all the un-born children too as the radiation is caught in the breast of all women and the Milk gets poised in a very short time! * Enforcer Think Tank N.Y.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

And who will compensate Tepco? I assume they had insurance on the plants. Tepco lost billions too.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

An interesting article on Japan's eagerness to join an international treaty that limits compensation due to nuclear accidents.

http://news.yahoo.com/japan-eyes-global-nuclear-compensation-treaty-report-032630948.html

And who will compensate Tepco?

The same group who gives you money when you cause a car accident that totals out both cars: Nobody. Except this is Japan so probably the Tax Payer.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

A nuclear bomb typically uses up the nuclear material and it is released as energy. These nuclear reactor meltdowns have more radioactive particles that give off their radiation over a longer time. More fuel to begin with also.

=big difference between a nuclear bomb and a Fukushima nuclear reactor meltdown/explosion.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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