IBARAKI, JAPAN - A central government commission has ordered theIbaraki prefectural government to pay 28.26 million yen incompensation to 37 residents of Kamisu in the prefecture for healthproblems they suffered from arsenic-contaminated well water. It is the first time the Internal Affairs and CommunicationsMinistry's Environmental Dispute Coordination Commission recognizedgovernmental responsibility in connection with residents' healthproblems. The group of residents filed for arbitration with the commission toclarify the responsibility of the central and prefecturalgovernments in 2006. The case centered on who was responsible for the contamination andthe connection between the well contamination and the residents'health problems. In announcing its decision on Friday, the commission pointed outthe prefectural government failed to inform residents it haddetected high levels of an arsenic compound--45 times theacceptable level--in well water in 1999. The prefecture also failedto conduct follow-up research, it said. The commission ordered the prefecture to pay 3 million yen each tofive residents aged 10 to 18 who suffered developmental disorders.As for eight residents who complained about dizziness and othersymptoms, the commission ordered the prefecture to pay 420,000 yento 1.8 million yen. The remaining 24 residents were to be paid50,000 yen to 200,000 yen in compensation, on the grounds thattheir right to a peaceful life was infringed upon. In March 2003, high levels of organic arsenic compounds weredetected in groundwater taken from wells in the Kizaki district ofKamisu. People in the area had often complained of health problems. The arsenic compound detected was a type nonexistent in nature andsimilar in composition to one developed by the Imperial JapaneseArmy during World War II. In January 2005, pieces of concrete containing organic arsenic werefound near the wells, leading the central government to concludethat they were the source of residents' health problems. The commission determined that the water pollution was caused bythe concrete pieces, which were abandoned by an unknown party.Though it admitted that arsenic was produced by the ImperialJapanese Army as a toxic gas compound, it did not recognize thecentral government's responsibility of overseeing disposal ofpoisonous compounds by a third party. The e-commerce company in China offers quality products such as High Power LEDs , China LED Wall Washers, and more. For more , please visit LED Street Lighting Fixtures today!
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