Industrial Pollution ~Minamata Disease.

01A3141030L Aiko Mizuguchi

Good morning, ladies and gentlemen. My name is Aiko Mizuguchi. Today, I'm going to present my research on Industrial Pollution such as Minamata disease. I'm interested in this topic because the tragedy (Minamata disease) represents other industrial pollution in terms of causing serious damage to innocent people and being infamous.

I want to find out why Minamata disease was caused, how the Minamata disease problem was solved and what we should do in order not to repeat such Industrial Pollution.

I'm going to cover three points. First, I will show you the causes of Minamata disease. Second, I will tell you the way Minamata disease problem was solved. Finally, I will suggest what we should do in order not to repeat such Industrial Pollution.

First, I will tell you what Minamata disease is and the reason Minamata disease was caused.

According to the home page of "Japan Access" on the Internet, organic mercury (a methylmercury compound) was released from the Chisso Minamata Plant into Minamata Bay for more than 30 years up until 1996 , contaminating both people and animals. First , fishes ate marine plants contaminated by organic mercury in Minamata Bay. Second, People who ate the contaminated fishes suffered from Minamata disease. The major symptoms of Minamata disease (organic mercury poisoning ) are tremors (involuntary trembling or quivering), sensory disorders in the limbs, muscular coordination failure, speech and language disorders, narrowing of the field of vision, and loss of equilibrium. Between August of 1964 and July of 1965, those exhibiting symptoms similar to the Minamata disease victims appeared in great numbers in the lower part of the Agano river basin in Niigata Prefecture. Minamata disease was recognized as an environmental pollution disease in 1968.

I think this environmental pollution disease was completely caused by unreasonable carelessness of Chisso's Minamata Plant. If the plant hadnít released Organic mercury into Minamata Bay, victims wouldn't have suffered from such terrible disease(the victims themselves wouldn't have been victims.)

I have covered what Minamata disease is and the reason Minamata disease was caused. So, How was the Minamata disease problem solved and, how were the victims compensated, I will tell you.

I will tell you the way Minamata disease problem was solved and the way victims were compensated.

Victims appealed their case to the District Court, the High Court, and the Supreme Court, and the latter ruled in their favor. Those not certified as Minamata disease victims, who were regardless seeking compensation for treatment as such, by and large saw their cases reach a settlement by the government, in 1995. A lump sum was paid to non-certified victims with sensory disorders in the limbs. About 10,000 people in Kagoshima, Kumamoto, and Niigata Prefectures, including those deceased, were awarded payment. And the governor of Kumamoto Prefecture had set the net that had prevented mercuryópolluted fish in the bay from entering the sea in an effort to curb the environmentally induced malady known as Minamata disease. I have covered the way Minamata disease problem was solved and the way victims were compensated. I think those compensation and efforts are still not enough for victims. Of course, both are necessary measures against Industrial Pollution, but I wonder if we need the prevention not to repeat such a case of Industrial Pollution; making regulation or, law by precedent.

So, finally I will suggest what we should do in order not to repeat such Industrial Pollution. According to "Japan Access" Home page, the regulation on soot and smoke exhaust, enacted in 1962, was absorbed into the Air Pollution Control Law in 1968. The Water Quality Conservation Law and Factory Wastewater Control Law, both enacted in 1958, were integrated into the Water Pollution Control Law in 1970. Other laws on pollution measures were also passed, such as the Basic Law for Environmental Pollution Control(1967). In 1972, no-fault liability for compensation, which holds business responsible for health problems resulting from pollution (whether accidental or not), was introduced into various laws. Furthermore, in1993 the Basic Law for Environmental Pollution Control was replaced by the Basic Environmental Law. These pollution countermeasures resulted in policies to stem pollution, although for many years there was no legal requirement to carry out an environmental assessment. At long last, in 1984, the Cabinet ruled that developments affiliated with the government be made to undergo assessment. However, municipalities had already preceded the national governmental assessment. Finally, the Environmental Impact Assessment Law was passed by the Diet in June 1997.

I wonder why a lot of Industrial pollution incidents are still breaking out everywhere, although such strict and sufficient laws exist for preventing them. I think we don't enforce such laws rigidly. We should observe such various laws strictly and cooperate to protect the environment, so resulting in protecting people's health and safety.

I have covered what we should do in order not to repeat such Industrial Pollution.

To summarize this research shows that people, who had eaten the organic-mercury contaminated fishes, suffered from Minamata disease that was recognized as an environmental pollution disease in 1968. It shows that Minamata disease victims, who were regardless seeking compensation for treatment as such, by and large saw their cases reach a settlement by the government, in 1995: a lump sum was paid to non-certified victims with sensory disorders in the limbs. And finally, the Environmental Impact Assessment Law was passed by the Diet in June 1997.

I think not only Minamata disease, but also every other industrial pollution occurred as a result of the priority placed on rapid economic growth and the downplay of standards to protect people's health and safety. I think we have looked after only our corporate interests, and ignored personal injuries. Although a lot of laws or regulations for Environmental Pollution Control were enacted, they are meaningless if they are not observed rigidly. I think we should cooperate with each other to protect the environment from pollution and to make a comfortable environment to live in !!

Thank you. Do you have any questions?

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