Ah...
It's the end of another killer week, and as I continuously say, it was another busy Friday.
Today, I worked on the Tokyo Air Pollution Lawsuit...
the plaintiff doing a sit-in protest... it's really painful to see the weak patients sitting in this cold weather...
the article from Kyodo...
ああ…
また殺人的な一週間の終わりだ。繰り返し言ってるように、また忙しい金曜日だったよ。
きょうは東京大気汚染訴訟を取り上げた。
写真：座り込みの抗議をする原告たち…この寒い季節に弱っている患者たちが座っているのを見るのは本当に痛々しいね…。
以下、共同の記事（和訳は略）
◆Gov't set to enter talks with plaintiffs in Tokyo air pollution suit
TOKYO, Feb. 2 KYODO
The government is set to enter into talks for a possible settlement with asthma sufferers and other plaintiffs in an air pollution lawsuit for damages and an apology from seven automakers, the state and Tokyo metropolitan governments, the environment minister said Friday.
''We want to talk with the plaintiffs after consulting with the ministries and agencies involved,'' Masatoshi Wakabayashi told a news conference after a Cabinet meeting.
''I'm not saying we will settle (the case), but we can't prolong the trial unnecessarily. We will deal with it sincerely as a state and make our utmost effort to search for a solution,'' he said, referring to possible talks with the plaintiffs, whether formally or informally.
But Wakabayashi reiterated the government's policy of not acknowledging the state's liability for compensation and of not accepting a healthcare aid program proposed by the Tokyo metropolitan government.
''We cannot accept these as long as causal relationships remain unclear,'' he said, adding that the only thing the ministry can do is to set regulations on gas emissions from vehicles and other areas.
On Friday, transport minister Tetsuzo Fuyushiba also hinted at his ministry's willingness to consult with the plaintiffs on antipollution measures, including the renovation of road structures.
Meanwhile, the Environment Ministry will begin considering toughening the current standard on the level of particulate matter contained in gas emissions from diesel vehicles to a level enforced in the United States and the European Union, ministry sources said the same day.
The Tokyo High Court concluded the hearings in the trial last September and later proposed that the defendants and the plaintiffs reach a negotiated settlement.
According to people involved in the case, the court has apparently taken a view that the government needs to take effective anti-emission measures to solve the case and is believed to propose a draft settlement to both parties in early February.
The automakers have told the high court that they are willing to join the Tokyo metropolitan government in the healthcare aid plan for asthma patients.
The Tokyo District Court ordered in 2002 that the defendants, excluding the automakers, pay a combined 79 million yen in damages to the plaintiffs after recognizing the connection between air pollution and their illnesses.
The seven automakers in the suit are Toyota Motor Corp., Nissan Motor Co., Nissan Diesel Motor Co., Mitsubishi Motors Corp., Hino Motors Ltd., Isuzu Motors Ltd. and Mazda Motor Corp.
==Kyodo
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