Fifty years have passed since Minamata disease was designated as a pollution-caused illness in 1968.
Itai-Itai disease and Niigata Minamata disease also received the designation that year. Four major pollution-caused illnesses, including Yokkaichi asthma, are negative legacies of the high-growth period. Based on lessons learned from these diseases, it is essential to promote the building of a society that gives consideration to the environment.
Minamata disease was caused by wastewater discharged into the Yatsushiro Sea from a Chisso Corp. factory in the city of Minamata, Kumamoto Prefecture. The first patient was officially confirmed in 1956, but it took 12 years until the condition was recognized as a pollution-caused disease.
Chisso initially denied that the wastewater was the cause of the disease. Moreover, the government's investigation into the cause of the disease and control of wastewater lacked swiftness. In a recent news conference, Environment Minister Masaharu Nakagawa said, "The delay in initial implementation of countermeasures led to the expansion of damage. It is still difficult to recover the serious damage."
Taking countermeasures immediately if something extraordinary is detected -- this is the most important thing for preventing the expansion of damage. This key to crisis management is applicable even today.
The emergence of pollution-caused diseases gave momentum to the polluter-pays principle taking root in Japan. The principle is based on the idea that pollution-causing businesses are responsible for environmental cleanup and compensation for pollution sufferers. The idea was proposed by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development from the 1970s to '80s.
Global cooperation vital
Once a company causes environmental destruction, it will have to pay a huge price. This is apparent from a look at the case of Chisso.
Japanese firms' environmental awareness has improved significantly now. Emissions controls of hazardous substances have been strengthened legally, too, so it is hard to imagine a situation in which serious pollution is caused as in the past.
Nevertheless, there are cases in which the adverse effects of past corporate activities have emerged over time. A typical example is health damage caused by asbestos, once a commonly used construction material.
Businesses are called on to pay careful and constant attention to the environment. They must be prepared to take prompt action in case damage emerges.
Health damage caused by mercury poisoning, as in the case of Minamata disease, has been posing an issue in developing countries. This is because mercury is used in the refining of mined gold.
The Minamata Convention on Mercury, which took effect in August last year, is aimed at preventing environmental pollution and health damage caused by mercury. Japan, where Minamata disease originated, is called on to take the lead in accelerating the movement toward restricted use of mercury across the globe.
Environmental devastation has been growing more serious on a global scale in recent years, including the destruction of the ozone layer caused by chlorofluorocarbon gas used in air conditioners, global warming and the outflow into oceans of a huge amount of plastic garbage.
All these are issues that cannot be dealt with by related companies alone. It is becoming more important for countries to work together toward conservation of the global environment.
(From The Yomiuri Shimbun, Sept. 29, 2018)
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