原発賠償条約 事故収束の加速にも有益だ

The Yomiuri Shimbun
Intl pact on N-damage compensation would help restoration in Fukushima
原発賠償条約　事故収束の加速にも有益だ

Japan’s participation in an international convention on damages compensation for nuclear accidents will have significant implications.
　原子力事故の損害賠償に関する国際条約に加盟する意義は大きい。

By taking part in the pact, Japan must build closer relationships with the United States and other member nations to help accelerate restoration after the accident at Tokyo Electric Power Co.’s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.
　米国などと緊密な協力関係を築き、東京電力福島第一原子力発電所の事故収束の加速にもつなげたい。

The government has decided to join the Convention on Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage, an international framework on damages compensation for nuclear accidents. It has called for treaty ratification by the Diet and submitted related bills it seeks to pass during the current extraordinary Diet session.
　政府が、原発事故の賠償の枠組みなどを定めた「原子力損害の補完的補償に関する条約（ＣＳＣ）」に加盟する方針を決め、その承認案と関連法案を国会に提出した。今国会での成立を目指す。

A nuclear accident damages not only the country where it happens, but neighboring countries as well. The convention, known as the CSC, calls for setting international rules whereby compensation can be made smoothly in the event of a nuclear accident.
　原発事故は発生国だけでなく、周辺国にも被害が及びかねない。ＣＳＣは、万一の際に賠償などが円滑に進むよう、国際的なルールを決めておく狙いがある。

The CSC has already been joined by the United States, Argentina, Morocco and two other countries. It has yet to take effect because the requirement for combined nuclear power capacity among member countries has not yet been met. However, the condition will be met if Japan becomes a member.
　すでに米国、アルゼンチン、モロッコなど５か国が加盟しているが、原発の出力合計の要件を満たしておらず未発効だ。日本が参加すれば発効条件を満たす。

The convention makes it mandatory for member nations to set aside at least ¥47 billion for compensation. If the total damage estimate surpasses this amount, other signatory countries will provide funds to supplement it. Considering that the damage compensation estimate amounts to as much as ¥5 trillion in the case of the Fukushima accident, the convention is far from being able to provide sufficient funds.
　この条約は原発事故に備え、各国が最低４７０億円を用意するよう義務づけている。賠償額がそれを超えた場合は、一部を加盟国の拠出金で支援するが、５兆円に迫る福島第一原発の賠償額を考えれば、備えが十分とは言えない。

Liability to be clarified

A huge effect from joining the convention can be expected because it will become clear where liability for compensation lies, among other things.
　むしろ、大きな効果が見込めるのは、賠償責任の所在などが明確化される点だ。

The CSC stipulates that liability for damages should be shouldered entirely by the power company concerned and a lawsuit concerning compensation for nuclear damage can only be filed in the country where the accident occurs.
　ＣＳＣは、事故の賠償責任は全て電力会社が負い、裁判は事故の発生国で行うと定めている。

To promote restoration after the accident at the Fukushima plant and the decommissioning of its crippled reactors, utilization of U.S. technology and expertise is called for. But U.S. firms are leery of providing their technical know-how out of concern that they will face the possible lawsuits for huge damage compensation filed in the United States by victims if a new accident occurs.
　福島第一原発の事故収束や廃炉作業は、米国技術の活用が求められている。だが、米国企業は、新たな事故が起きた場合、米国で被害者に巨額の訴訟を起こされると懸念し、二の足を踏んでいる。

If it becomes clear that TEPCO is liable for future damage compensation, U.S. firms’ active cooperation can be expected.
　条約締結で、今後の賠償責任を東電が負うことが明確になれば、積極的な協力が期待できよう。

The restoration work at Fukushima has stumbled over disposal of radioactive contaminated water. There is a limit to what Japan can do single-handedly to decommission nuclear reactors, a project that is unprecedented in this country.
　福島の事故収束は、汚染水処理でつまずいている。前例のない廃炉作業も、日本単独での取り組みには限界がある。

U.S. technology and know-how, which were mobilized to deal with the Three Mile Island accident, must be employed for such difficult operations as the removal of melted nuclear fuel rods.
　スリーマイル島事故に対処した米国の技術やノウハウを、溶融した核燃料の取り出しなど困難な作業に生かしたい。

Participation in the CSC will also benefit Japanese makers in that they will be able to reduce risks accompanying nuclear power plant exports.
　ＣＳＣ加盟は、日本メーカーにとっても、原発輸出に伴うリスクを軽減する利点がある。

Nearly 200 nuclear reactors are under construction or planned across the world. Japan’s nuclear plant exports have an aspect of spreading their safe performance and safety standards, which are said to be at the world’s top levels.
　世界で建設中や計画中の原発は２００基近くに上る。日本の原発輸出には、世界最高レベルとされる安全性能や安全基準を国際的に広める意味がある。

Legal arrangements to deal with the aftermath of nuclear accidents are insufficient in many emerging economies. Turkey and Vietnam, to which Japanese makers are scheduled to export nuclear plants, are not signatories to the CSC yet.
　原発事故が起きた場合に備えた法整備が不十分な新興国も多い。日本メーカーが輸出を予定しているトルコやベトナムも、ＣＳＣに未加盟だ。

The government should call on these countries to join the CSC and work toward laying the foundation for international cooperation on nuclear power plants.
政府はこれらの国に加盟を呼びかけ、原発を巡る国際協力の基盤整備に貢献すべきだ。

(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Oct. 28, 2014)Speech