The operator of the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear power plant, the Tokyo Electricity Company (Tepco), launched a procedure on Monday October 2 to compensate local companies whose reputation and activities have been damaged by the nuclear power plant’s operations. release into the ocean of treated and diluted water from the power plant ravaged by the earthquake and tsunami of March 2011, which began on August 24. The compensation concerns the fishing sector, whose image is particularly tarnished, but also those of agriculture, tourism, the processing industry and wholesale.
Tepco announced that it would grant these compensations to all proven cases of reputational damage caused by the discharge of contaminated water into the ocean, regardless of the region and type of activity affected, and without time limit. for submitting the application. Potential candidates can notably declare, to the company, the financial losses linked to a decline in sales, the various damages caused by the drop in prices of seafood and agricultural products, as well as the costs incurred to respond to embargoes. implemented abroad. According to Tepco, this procedure only concerns companies operating before the start of discharge operations.
Confirm the existence of harm
Financing the compensation will be provided by the government through the issuance of government bonds, to lend the necessary funds to Tepco through the Nuclear Damage Compensation Facilitation Company. Reimbursement will be made from the company’s annual profits. The total amount allocated to these compensation operations has not been communicated.
According to the standard established by the compensation process, Tepco will calculate the amount of damages for each company after confirming the existence of damage related to the reputation of the claimant, based on statistical data for each sector. Statistics from the Tokyo wholesale market will thus be consulted to process files related to the fishing and agricultural sectors. The Japan Tourism Agency (an agency of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism) will play the role of consultant in its field.
Once the damage to reputation has been noted and confirmed, companies will be compensated for the damage caused by the loss of income calculated in particular on the basis of the price of the products and the value of sales in 2022. If the plaintiff accepts the amount of compensation, the final documents will be sent to him on November 20 to finalize payment of the agreed sum.
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