122
reported that it had conclusive evidence that Minamata disease was caused by,
methylmercury. However, scientists opposing this theory proposed other hypotheses, thus prolonging the scientific discussion and the search for commonly-agreedupon causative substances. In addition, Chisso Hospital withheld announcing results
of an experiment using a cat, although they confirmed the development of Minamata
disease in the cat after feeding the cat the factory wastewater drainage. The government and manufacturing corporations have a moral responsibility to regulate and
control pollution as soon as possible. However, Chisso’s strong impact on the local
and national economy which, under such circumstances, caused the government to
be overly cautious for the wrong reasons and required more solid scientific evidence
to develop an action plan. Science, on the other hand, always has its uncertainties.
When a new hypothesis is proposed, scientists are compelled to validate it regardless of the time required and regardless of the urgency of needed attention victims.
The government, unfortunately, delayed taking any constructive action for want of
more conclusive results. In this way, government and scientists alike had no incentive to expedite the process. This “resonance between science and governance” is
one cause of tardy for the delayed action (Shigeo Sugiyama, 2005).
6.2.3 Compensation and Relief for the Victims
The current scheme of compensating Minamata victims was established in 1973.
This scheme requires that sufferers must be certified as a “Minamata disease patient”
and approved by the governor of Kumamoto prefecture. A lump-sum conciliatory
payment ranging from 16–18 million JPY was paid to these “certified patients”
depending on the severity of the symptoms. To be certified, having a combination of
several symptoms (disturbance in sensation and ataxia, etc.) is required; that is,
those with only a single symptom remained uncertified.
More than 3000 sufferers have been “certified”. However, depending on the level
of methylmercury intake, more sufferers exist who have only one symptom such as
disturbance of sensation or who have atypical symptoms. These types of sufferers
have never been certified nor has any compensation ever been provided. Many have
filed lawsuits petitioning to be certified, unfortunately with little or no success.
To resolve this situation, two political settlements were initiated in 1995 and
2010 to provide some relief to single-symptom sufferers. Even though such sufferers were not officially certified as “Minamata disease patients”, they were recognized at least as “Minamata disease sufferers”, and became able to receive some
monetary relief in a lump-sum payment. About 11,500 sufferers received such relief
in 1995 from the Japanese government, and some 65,000 sufferers applied for some
form of settlement after the 1995 settlement.
The history of compensation and monetary and medical relief of Minamata disease is rife with the repetition of lawsuits and such settlements. Some lawsuits still
continue by those who want to be certified, and others continue by those who will
settle for some kind of monetary relief quickly. Even now, the exact number of total
M. Onuki
reported that it had conclusive evidence that Minamata disease was caused by,
methylmercury. However, scientists opposing this theory proposed other hypotheses, thus prolonging the scientific discussion and the search for commonly-agreedupon causative substances. In addition, Chisso Hospital withheld announcing results
of an experiment using a cat, although they confirmed the development of Minamata
disease in the cat after feeding the cat the factory wastewater drainage. The government and manufacturing corporations have a moral responsibility to regulate and
control pollution as soon as possible. However, Chisso’s strong impact on the local
and national economy which, under such circumstances, caused the government to
be overly cautious for the wrong reasons and required more solid scientific evidence
to develop an action plan. Science, on the other hand, always has its uncertainties.
When a new hypothesis is proposed, scientists are compelled to validate it regardless of the time required and regardless of the urgency of needed attention victims.
The government, unfortunately, delayed taking any constructive action for want of
more conclusive results. In this way, government and scientists alike had no incentive to expedite the process. This “resonance between science and governance” is
one cause of tardy for the delayed action (Shigeo Sugiyama, 2005).
6.2.3 Compensation and Relief for the Victims
The current scheme of compensating Minamata victims was established in 1973.
This scheme requires that sufferers must be certified as a “Minamata disease patient”
and approved by the governor of Kumamoto prefecture. A lump-sum conciliatory
payment ranging from 16–18 million JPY was paid to these “certified patients”
depending on the severity of the symptoms. To be certified, having a combination of
several symptoms (disturbance in sensation and ataxia, etc.) is required; that is,
those with only a single symptom remained uncertified.
More than 3000 sufferers have been “certified”. However, depending on the level
of methylmercury intake, more sufferers exist who have only one symptom such as
disturbance of sensation or who have atypical symptoms. These types of sufferers
have never been certified nor has any compensation ever been provided. Many have
filed lawsuits petitioning to be certified, unfortunately with little or no success.
To resolve this situation, two political settlements were initiated in 1995 and
2010 to provide some relief to single-symptom sufferers. Even though such sufferers were not officially certified as “Minamata disease patients”, they were recognized at least as “Minamata disease sufferers”, and became able to receive some
monetary relief in a lump-sum payment. About 11,500 sufferers received such relief
in 1995 from the Japanese government, and some 65,000 sufferers applied for some
form of settlement after the 1995 settlement.
The history of compensation and monetary and medical relief of Minamata disease is rife with the repetition of lawsuits and such settlements. Some lawsuits still
continue by those who want to be certified, and others continue by those who will
settle for some kind of monetary relief quickly. Even now, the exact number of total
M. Onuki