The voice of justice echoes in the Kawasaki sky" - May 1999

The voice of justice echoes in the Kawasaki sky" - May 1999

The Kawasaki pollution lawsuit was filed in 1982 by pollution disease patients and their bereaved families against companies, the national government, and the Metropolitan Expressway Public Corporation. 17 years of legal battles later, a settlement was reached in May 1999. The government promised to build roads and environmental facilities to control air pollution, and in 1996 the companies paid a total of 3.1 billion yen to settle the case, with compensation of 7.73 million yen per patient. The main causes of pollution are emissions from industrial areas, increased automobile traffic, and inadequate regulation of air pollution control laws. This lawsuit is a symbol of the local residents' movement to improve the environment and is an important case that has had a nationwide impact.