原発被害賠償 和解による早期救済が大切だ

The Yomiuri Shimbun (Oct. 2, 2012)
TEPCO must compensate nuclear accident victims quickly
原発被害賠償　和解による早期救済が大切だ（10月1日付・読売社説）

The government should further enhance its system to resolve disputes over compensation for damage caused by the crisis at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant so people suffering from the nuclear accident can be helped appropriately and quickly.
　東京電力福島第一原子力発電所の事故の被害者が、適切かつ迅速に救済されるよう、紛争処理の体制をさらに充実させていくことが大切だ。

By late September, 940,000 compensation claims had been made against Tokyo Electric Power Co., the operator of the nuclear plant, for damage caused by the crisis. The claimants and TEPCO have reached agreements in 860,000 cases. The total compensation has already reached 1.24 trillion yen and will increase further. This shows the seriousness of the accident, which has forced 160,000 local residents to evacuate.
　今回の原発事故を巡っては、９月下旬までに９４万件の賠償申請が東電にあり、そのうち８６万件で合意に達した。賠償総額は１兆２４００億円に上り、今後も増え続ける。約１６万人を避難に追いやった事故の深刻さを物語っている。

Under a compensation scheme for the damage caused by the crisis, the government first pays evacuees the money and later requires TEPCO to repay it. Compensation is calculated based on criteria set by the government's Committee for Dispute Resolution for Compensating Damages from the Nuclear Power Plant Incident.
　賠償金は、政府が立て替え払いしたうえで、東電に請求する仕組みだ。政府の原子力損害賠償紛争審査会が定めた指針が、算定の基準となる。

The criteria require TEPCO to pay compensation for such expenses as evacuation transportation fees and damage to farmers and other people who lost their businesses due to the crisis.
避難に要した交通費などの実費、仕事を失った農家や事業者の損失などが対象だ。

The agreement ratio has been high in initial compensation negotiations, but many crisis victims are still dissatisfied with the amount of reparations.
　こうした初期の賠償交渉での合意率は高いが、被災者が納得しないケースも少なくない。

===

Mediation system in action

If their negotiations with TEPCO make little headway, victims can ask the Center for Dispute Resolution for Compensating Damages from the Nuclear Power Plant Incident to mediate. The center, which has a total of 150 lawyers and inspectors, is a subsidiary organization of the committee.
　東電との交渉がうまく運ばない場合に、仲裁を託されるのが、審査会の下部組織である「原子力損害賠償紛争解決センター」だ。弁護士や調査官約１５０人で構成されている。

The center started its operations in September last year and has already resolved 560 cases in one year. One of its achievements is increasing the amount of consolation money for people who stayed in areas where evacuation was not officially required but from which many residents voluntarily evacuated.
　昨年９月に始動し、この１年で５６０件の和解を成立させた。中でも自主避難区域にとどまった住民への慰謝料を増額したことは、一つの成果と言えよう。

In an initial compensation guideline, people who voluntarily left places not within the evacuation zones are paid 100,000 yen per person per month, the same amount of consolation money paid to those who evacuated from the zones where residency is prohibited for an extended period of time. But people who stay in areas where evacuation was not officially required but from which many residents voluntarily evacuated are paid about half this amount.
　自主避難区域の場合、避難した人には、帰宅困難区域の人と同額の慰謝料（月１０万円）が支払われるが、残留者には半額程度というのが当初の賠償方針だった。

Some stayed alone at their homes in such areas due to their jobs and other reasons after other members of their families evacuated. They are victims of the nuclear accident who are forced to bear various inconveniences and pains. The center has studied such realities and reflected them in settlements.
　仕事の都合で自宅を離れられず、やむなく家族だけを避難させるなど、被害者は様々な不便や苦痛を強いられている。センターは、そうした実態を調査し、和解案に反映させた。

It is necessary to carry out a relief plan based on the realities of the victims.
　被害者の実情に応じた救済を進めていくことが必要だ。

===

Compensation stage crucial

The compensation work will enter a crucial stage soon because negotiations will shift into full swing over compensation for damage to real estate such as land and buildings that evacuees have left behind in their hometowns and farm houses and commercial land that companies cannot use any longer.
　賠償作業は今後、正念場を迎える。避難者が地元に残した土地・建物、農家や企業の使えなくなった事業用敷地など不動産の賠償交渉が本格化するからだ。

An appraisal value used in levying a fixed asset tax is applied to calculate compensation. However, some evacuees took out housing loans when land prices were higher than now. If an evacuee has an old wooden house, its appraisal value will be low.
　賠償の算定には、事故発生時点の固定資産税評価額が適用される。だが、地価の高い時期にローンを組んだ人もいる。古い木造家屋などは評価額自体が低い。

It is a matter of concern that evacuees who refuse to accept the estimated compensation might appear one after another. In that case, the role of the resolution center will become even more significant. To help victims of the nuclear accident as soon as possible, we hope settlements will be reached before civil suits--which take a lot of time before rulings--are filed.
　算定額を拒否する住民が続出することが懸念される。センターの役割はさらに重要になる。決着までに時間がかかる民事訴訟ではなく、訴訟以前に和解を成立させ、被害者の早期救済を図りたい。

TEPCO should not apply the committee's criteria automatically to compensation claims. Instead, it should maintain a flexible attitude. As the company that caused the nuclear crisis, TEPCO should not be allowed to cause unnecessary delays in helping the victims.
　東電は、指針を機械的に運用すべきではない。柔軟な姿勢が求められる。事故を起こした企業として、被害者救済をいたずらに遅らせることは許されない。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Oct. 1, 2012)
（2012年10月1日01時14分  読売新聞）