Reparations

Japan Orders Nuke Plant to Pay Evacuees

Each household forced to leave gets $12,000.

The Japanese government on Friday ordered the operators of the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant to pay 1 million yen ($12,000) to each household forced to evacuate the neighboring region. Japan’s Trade Ministry spokesman, Hiroaki Wada, said the compensation is provisional—and more money could be coming to the evacuees. Roughly 48,000 households—accounting for about 140,000 people—within 19 miles of the Fukushima Daiichi plant are eligible, Wada said. The operator of the plant, Tepco, is expected to confirm the arrangement Friday. Some of the evacuees traveled to Tokyo to Tepco’s headquarters in the wake of the crisis to demand compensation. Radiation leaks from the Fukushima Daiichi plant have severely damaged the neighboring region—as farmers and fishermen have been unable to continue working.