Pollution-Related Health Damage Compensation Law

Japanese: 公害健康被害補償法 - こうがいけんこうひがいほしょうほう

Law No. 111 of 1973. It was enacted for the purpose of providing prompt and fair protection to victims of health damage caused by the effects of significant air pollution or water pollution over a considerable area resulting from business activities and other human activities, and by carrying out projects necessary for the welfare of the victims. This law specifies the designation of regions and diseases, dividing them into first-class and second-class regions. Designated diseases for first-class regions include chronic bronchitis and bronchial asthma, while those for second-class regions include Minamata disease, Itai-itai disease, and chronic arsenic poisoning. Benefits (compensation benefits) paid to compensate for health damage under this law include medical treatment benefits and medical expenses, disability compensation expenses, survivor compensation expenses, survivor compensation lump sum payments, child compensation allowances, medical treatment allowances, and funeral expenses. In addition, certification of damage compensation is to be made by the prefectural governor or mayor of a city designated by government ordinance, who has jurisdiction over each region. Furthermore, amendments made in 1987 stipulated that "designated areas would be completely removed from the list of air-polluted areas," that "hereafter, even if new patients are found, they would no longer be recognized as having pollution-related diseases," and that "compensation payments would continue for patients who had already been recognized."

Source: Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia About Encyclopaedia Britannica Concise Encyclopedia Information

Japanese:

昭和 48年法律 111号。事業活動その他の人の活動に伴って生じる相当範囲にわたる著しい大気の汚染または水質の汚濁の影響による健康被害にかかる損害を填補するための補償を行うとともに，被害者の福祉に必要な事業を行うことにより，健康被害にかかる被害者の迅速かつ公正な保護をはかることを目的として制定された。この法律では，地域および疾病の指定を定め，第一種地域と第二種地域とに分けている。第一種地域にかかる指定疾病には，慢性気管支炎，気管支喘息などが，第二種地域にかかるものとして，水俣病，イタイイタイ病，慢性ヒ素中毒症が指定されている。この法律による健康被害に対する補償のため支給される給付 (補償給付) は，療養の給付および療養費，障害補償費，遺族補償費，遺族補償一時金，児童補償手当，療養手当および葬祭料とされている。また被害補償にかかる認定は，それぞれの地域を所管する都道府県知事，または政令指定都市の市長が行うものとしている。さらに，1987年の改正により「大気汚染指定地域の全面解除」，「以降，患者が出ても新たに公害病とは認定しない」，「認定ずみの患者の補償給付は継続する」ことなどが決められた。

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