Gov't must stop procrastinating about assistance measures

July 29, 2013

EDITORIAL: Government must stop delaying assistance to nuclear disaster victims

http://ajw.asahi.com/article/views/editorial/AJ201307290071

Further procrastination is unacceptable in easing the health concerns and rebuilding the lives of people forced to evacuate their homes after the accident at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant.

The government’s foot-dragging in responding to a law intended to assist children and disaster victims is symbolic of the whole issue.

Thirteen months have passed since the Diet passed legislation to provide assistance to nuclear accident victims. The legislation was sponsored by a nonpartisan group of lawmakers.

Nuclear disaster victims are categorized into three groups: those who continued to live in the stricken region; those who evacuated at the central government’s order or at their own discretion; and evacuees who are preparing to return to their homes.

Although they were all victims of the nuclear disaster, disputes have emerged amog them due to the differences in their situations.

The law sets the principles to meet the varying needs of the victims by grouping them all together as equally entitled to measures to prevent additional radiation exposure. Specific steps to help the victims are supposed to be compiled under a “basic policy” of the government.

However, the basic policy still does not exist. The government was expected to listen to the opinions of the affected people before putting together the key policy. But the Reconstruction Agency has not held even one such forum.

The existing structure of the state and municipalities is ill-designed to properly respond to the concerns and problems of the victims.

For example, people who lived outside the evacuation zone in Fukushima Prefecture have no recourse to receive medical checks that examine in detail any impact of radiation exposure.

In addition, nothing has been decided about evacuees who live in homes rented by local governments as temporary housing. Under the current arrangement, they can live there until spring 2015. But many lack the financial means to move to other places, making it extremely difficult for them to plan for the future.

Life under these conditions has heightened the stress levels of parents, resulting in an increase in child abuse cases in the affected areas.

Government officials should gather the victims’ opinions to take a fresh look at assistance measures.

One stumbling block in devising these measures is that the affected areas must be grouped according to radiation levels. This system cannot please everyone because the degree of health concerns and the need for evacuation varies from one individual to the next.

But this does not mean that Japan should wait further to come up with assistance measures.

Nuclear accident victims had great expectations for help after the law was enacted. But with still no assistance coming their way, they are starting to feel abandoned.

The health effects from low-level radiation exposure are also unclear. The Reconstruction Agency has asked the Nuclear Regulation Authority to consider setting up safety standards for low-level radiation.

Without public debate on the topic, however, it is impossible to come up with safety standards or measures designed to deal with low-level radiation doses that would be acceptable to a large majority of the public.

As a first step, the Reconstruction Agency should set up a forum where officials can listen to evacuees and residents to find out their specific needs. The discussion forum could also help the victims overcome their past differences.

If the affected areas are grouped according to radiation levels, constant reviews are needed to assess whether such a system is appropriate.

The Science Council of Japan has proposed the creation of a public forum where scientists of diverse opinions can debate the effects of the radiation doses. Such a venue should be utilized.

Diet members of the ruling and opposition parties worked together to draft the legislation to assist victims of the nuclear accident.

Now that the Upper House election is over, they should come together again to press the government to translate the law into tangible results.