Radioactive contamination of Fukushima’s forests: application of the polluter pays principle

Abstract

The forestry industry in Fukushima is in a difficult position because radioactive contamination was spread over large areas during the accident at the Daiichi nuclear power plant. Forests inside the evacuation zone cannot be used for timber production, nor can they be properly maintained. Outside the evacuation zone, the forestry industry has been damaged by warnings about radioactive pollution, tests that showed their products were not suitable for consumption, and distrust among consumers about the safety of Fukushima’s forests, all of which has led to a drop in prices. There is no quick and easy way to repair the damage. Although the government has pledged to implement the Polluter Pays Principle (PPP) by declaring that the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) is liable for the financial costs of the accident, governmental regulations only require the owner of the nuclear power plant to be responsible for certain economic costs, with the rest to be left for future consideration. As a result, forestry concerns are not on an equal footing with human environments or agriculture. Two and a half years after the accident, there are still no criteria for how to evaluate damage to standing forests, no plans to start forest decontamination, and no flexibility for individual forest owners to decide which type of damage restoration is appropriate for their forest. In this article, I argue that implementation of the PPP for the radioactive contamination of Fukushima’s forests has several major limitations. These limitations must be overcome if just compensation is to be made to the forest owners, workers in the forestry industry, and the residents of Fukushima. However, as TEPCO already finds itself in a very difficult financial position, implementing a comprehensive compensation mechanism for forest damage may well be too much for the company to manage; [...]