国・自動車メーカーは賠償を　ぜんそく患者１５０人が裁定申請

　自動車の排ガスによる大気汚染でぜんそくを発症したとして、東京、埼玉、千葉、神奈川、愛知、大阪の６都府県の患者約１５０人が２８日、国と自動車メーカー７社を相手取り、１人当たり１００万円の損害賠償を求める「責任裁定」を公害等調整委員会に申請した。申請した患者らは、最終的に医療費助成制度の創設を目指す。
　患者側は、１９７０年代後半から２０００年代のディーゼル車の排ガスにより発症したと主張。「高齢化が進む中、早期に解決する必要がある」と訴えている。（2022/06/28-11:16）

Around 150 asthma patients from Tokyo and five other prefectures in Japan petitioned a government ministry-affiliated panel on Tuesday for a ruling on the liability for their illness, seeking 1 million yen per person in damages from the Japanese government and seven automakers.
   Claiming that their asthma was caused by air pollution from exhaust fumes emitted by diesel-powered cars between the late 1970s and the 2000s, the patients asked the Environmental Dispute Coordination Commission, an external body of the Internal Affairs and Communications Ministry, to hand down a legal judgment on compensation liability.
   With the patients growing older, Japan must resolve this issue as soon as possible, they said. The patients are from the prefectures of Saitama, Chiba, Kanagawa, Aichi, Osaka, as well as Tokyo.
   They are aiming to ultimately create a medical expense subsidy system for asthma patients.
   Lead attorney Takao Nishimura voiced hopes to settle the case in an open setting.