Over 3,000 Fukushima residents seek compensation for mental distress from nuclear disaster
FUKUSHIMA -- More than 3,000 residents here have filed for compensation for mental distress over radiation emanating from the Fukushima No. 1 Nuclear Power Plant disaster through an out-of-court settlement system, it has been learned.
The claim was filed with the government-backed Nuclear Damage Claim Dispute Resolution Center by 3,107 residents in 1,107 households in the Watari district of the city of Fukushima on July 21. They comprise about 20 percent of Watari residents.
Through an alternative dispute resolution (ADR) procedure, these residents are demanding plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) pay 100,000 yen per person per month and 200,000 yen per person for the first six months after the meltdown when radiation levels were higher.
The residents claim that they harbor health concerns over radiation exposure and suffer from other forms of mental distress from the nuclear disaster. Watari is located about 60 kilometers from the Fukushima No. 1 plant and is known for relatively higher radiation levels compared to other districts in the city of Fukushima. According to the Fukushima Municipal Government, the radiation doses in Watari topped 2 microsieverts per hour over a six-month period since the onset of the nuclear crisis.
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