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Applications for A-bomb survivor certificates filed by 50 people exposed to “black rain” rejected; residents of city and prefecture to file lawsuit within the year

by Kyosuke Mizukawa and Michiko Tanaka, Staff Writers

Applications for atomic bomb survivor certificates filed by 50 people who were exposed to the “black rain” that fell on Hiroshima after the atomic bomb was dropped have been rejected it was learned on September 2. The applications were among those filed by 71 residents of the City of Hiroshima and Hiroshima Prefecture who were outside the area now covered by the national relief law at the time of their exposure to the black rain and who assert that they have suffered from health problems as a result. The applications were filed in an effort to get the central government to expand the area covered by the relief law. The residents whose applications were rejected have said they will file a class action lawsuit within the year seeking nullification of their rejections.

According to a member of the Hiroshima Prefecture Atomic Bomb Black Rain Council, as of September 2, the applications of 39 of 59 residents had been rejected by the city while the prefecture rejected the applications of 11 of 12 residents of the town of Aki Ota and other municipalities. The applicants have been told that they will receive official notification of the decisions by mail. The city and prefecture are expected to make decisions on the remaining 21 applications in the near future after determining the applicants’ locations when they were exposed to the black rain.

Residents who were exposed to the black rain within the Class 1 Health Examination Special Designated Area (Heavy Rain Area) designated by the central government are issued a certificate that entitles them to free health checks and can acquire an atomic bomb survivor’s certificate if they suffer from certain diseases. On the other hand, no relief measures are provided for those who were outside the government-designated area. The prefecture and city have sought the expansion of the designated area to six times its present size, but in 2012 the central government declined to do so saying there was insufficient scientific basis for such a change.

As a result, in October 2014 the Black Rain Council decided to file a class action suit. The 71 petitioners claim that they have suffered from cancer and other health problems on account of their exposure to black rain outside the designated area and contend that they should be considered Category 3 A-bomb Survivors under the Atomic Bomb Survivors Relief Law. This category covers survivors who were “in an environment where they were physically affected by radiation from the atomic bombing.” They filed their applications for atomic bomb survivor certificates from March to July of this year.

Because of the way the system works, the lawsuit is expected to be filed against both the prefecture and the city. Masaaki Takano, chair of the Black Rain Council, said, “We’re taking this matter to court as a last resort in an effort to pressure the government to expand the designated area.”

(Originally published on September 3, 2015)

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