Asbestos disaster : lessons from Japan's experience

1 A Political Economy of Asbestos Disasters.............................................. 1 Hiroyuki Mori 1.1 The Impact of Asbestos Disasters....................................................... 1 1.2 A Social Scientific Perspective on Asbestos Disasters....................... 4 1.2.1 Complex-Stock Disasters........................................................ 4 1.2.2 The Issue of Responsibility for Asbestos Disasters................ 6 1.3 An Economic Analysis of Occupational Safety and Health............... 7 1.3.1 The Labor Economics Approach............................................ 8 1.3.2 The Post-Keynesian Economics Approach............................. 10 1.3.3 The Institutional Economics Approach................................... 12 1.3.4 The Marxian Economics Approach........................................ 13 1.4 Toward a Political Economy of Asbestos Disasters............................ 16 Notes............................................................................................................ 16 References.................................................................................................... 17 2 An Exploration of Measures Against Industrial Asbestos Accidents..................................................................................... 19 Kenichi Miyamoto 2.1 Industrial Asbestos Accidents and the Status of Current Countermeasures............................................................... 19 2.1.1 The Status of Asbestos Exposure and Relief Measures.......... 19 2.1.2 Epidemiological Studies (and Projections)............................. 28 2.1.3 Regulations and Follow-Up Countermeasures for Asbestos Businesses and Related Facilities............................ 30 2.2 The Asbestos Crisis and Modern Political and Economic Systems....................................................................... 34 2.2.1 International Trends in Asbestos Use and Contamination.................................................................. 34 2.2.2 The Asbestos Crisis as a Product of Flaws in Modern Socioeconomic Systems........................................ 37 2.3 Responsibility for, and Relief from, Complex Stock Pollution.......... 39 2.3.1 Judicial Relief and Administrative Relief: Experiences at the Country Level........................................... 39 2.3.2 Issues for Future Study........................................................... 43 Notes............................................................................................................ 45 References.................................................................................................... 46 3 Why did the Asbestos Disaster Spread?.................................................. 47 Takehiko Murayama and Yuji Natori 3.1 Introduction......................................................................................... 47 3.2 Insufficient Application of Current Medical Knowledge of the Toxicity of Asbestos to Public Policies.................................... 47 3.2.1 Prewar...................................................................................... 47 3.2.2 Postwar.................................................................................... 48 3.3 Commitments of Governments and Industries.................................... 49 3.3.1 Prewar...................................................................................... 49 3.3.2 Postwar.................................................................................... 49 3.4 Cost of Asbestos Products.................................................................. 50 3.5 Information Manipulation and Abuse of the Knowledge Gap Among Stakeholders................................................................... 51 References.................................................................................................... 53 4 Asbestos Pollution and Its Health Effects: Asbestos-Related Diseases in Japan........................................................................................ 55 Kenji Morinaga and Yasushi Shinohara 4.1 Introduction......................................................................................... 55 4.2 Postwar Asbestos Use in Japan........................................................... 55 4.3 Current Asbestos-Related Disease Trends.......................................... 57 4.3.1 Types of Asbestos-Related Diseases....................................... 57 4.3.2 Pulmonary Asbestosis............................................................. 58 4.3.3 Lung Cancer............................................................................ 60 4.3.4 Mesothelioma.......................................................................... 61 4.3.5 Benign Asbestos Pleurisy........................................................ 64 4.4 Workers Accident Insurance Compensation for Patients with Asbestos-Related Diseases......................................................... 65 4.5 Relief Measures for Mesothelioma and Asbestos-Induced Lung Cancer Patients.......................................................................... 68 4.5.1 Relief Benefits......................................................................... 68 4.5.2 Special Benefit for Bereaved Families.................................... 71 4.6 Concluding Remarks........................................................................... 72 References.................................................................................................... 72 5 Mesothelioma Due to Neighborhood Asbestos Exposure: A Large-Scale, Ongoing Disaster Among Residents Living Near a Former Kubota Plant in Amagasaki, Japan............................... 75 Norio Kurumatani and Shinji Kumagai 5.1 Introduction......................................................................................... 75 5.2 The Beginning..................................................................................... 75 5.3 Proposal for an Epidemiological Survey............................................ 76 5.4 Interim Developments......................................................................... 77 5.5 Results of Epidemiological Survey..................................................... 78 5.5.1 Confirmation of Asbestos Exposure and Underlying Cause of Death........................................................................ 78 5.5.2 Subjects for Analysis.............................................................. 79 5.5.3 Emitting Source of Crocidolite in the Study Area.................. 81 5.5.4 Risk of Mesothelioma Among the Residents.......................... 82 5.6 Estimation of Asbestos Fiber Concentrations..................................... 87 5.7 Concluding Remarks........................................................................... 88 References.................................................................................................... 90 6 Asbestos Disasters and Public Policy: From the Prewar Era Through the Postwar Economic Boom............................................. 93 Hiroyuki Mori 6.1 The Nexus of the Problem.................................................................. 93 6.2 A Shadow Player Behind the Development of Japan’s Modern Industry.................................................................................. 94 6.2.1 The Dawn of the Asbestos Industry........................................ 94 6.2.2 The Asbestos Industry and Wartime Economic Controls................................................................................... 96 6.2.3 The Asbestos Industry and Postwar Reconstruction............... 97 6.2.4 The Asbestos Industry and the Phase of Rapid Economic Growth.................................................... 102 6.3 Policy Conflicts Within the Government............................................ 108 6.4. The Sennan District as a Center of the Japanese Asbestos Industry................................................................................................ 110 6.4.1 Asbestos Textile Products: Their Purpose and Role.................................................................................. 111 6.4.2 The Prestige of Sennan’s Asbestos Textile Factories.................................................................................. 112 6.4.3 Asbestos Product Manufacturing Processes in Sennan and Public Regulations........................................... 116 6.4.4 The Government and the Sennan District............................... 121 6.5 Conclusions......................................................................................... 122 Notes............................................................................................................ 123 References.................................................................................................... 125 7 Persistent Thorns: Responsibility for Asbestos Disasters...................... 127 Masafumi Kato 7.1 Introduction......................................................................................... 127 7.2 Kubota Asbestos Disaster................................................................... 128 7.2.1 The Impact of the Kubota Shock on Amagasaki.................... 128 7.2.2 Tears of Grief.......................................................................... 129 7.2.3 The Whistleblowers................................................................ 130 7.2.4 Inside the Factory.................................................................... 132 7.2.5 Formal Apology...................................................................... 133 7.2.6 Ambiguous Responsibility...................................................... 135 7.2.7 Circumstantial Evidence......................................................... 136 7.2.8 The First Lawsuit Against Kubota.......................................... 138 7.3 Sennan Asbestos Disaster................................................................... 139 7.3.1 Sennan, Osaka: The Birthplace of Japan’s Asbestos Industry.................................................................... 139 7.3.2 Asbestos Slum......................................................................... 141 7.3.3 Damage Lawsuit Against the Government............................. 143 7.3.4 Why the Neglect?.................................................................... 144 7.3.5 Beyond the Limits of Social Tolerance................................... 145 7.4 Further Issues...................................................................................... 146 7.4.1 Epidemiological Studies......................................................... 146 7.4.2 From Relief to Compensation................................................. 148 Reference..................................................................................................... 149 8 Asbestos Industry Transplants from Japan to South Korea.................. 151 Shinjiro Minami 8.1 Introduction......................................................................................... 151 8.2 The History of South Korea’s Asbestos Industry................................ 152 8.2.1 The Development of Asbestos Mining Operations in South Korea......................................................................... 152 8.2.2 South Korean Asbestos Production, Consumption, and Industry Growth and Decline........................................... 153 8.2.3 South Korea’s Asbestos Industry and Factors Contributing to Growth in Domestic Demand........................ 155 8.2.4 The Advent of Asbestos Regulations in South Korea............. 158 8.3 Asbestos Disasters and Japanese Corporate Operations in South Korea.................................................................................... 159 8.3.1 An Overview of Japanese Corporate Operations in South Korea......................................................................... 159 8.3.2 Jeil Asbestos (Jeil Chemical).................................................. 161 8.3.3 Dong Yang Asbestos Industry................................................. 170 8.3.4 Union Asbestos....................................................................... 174 8.4 Asbestos Disasters in Japan and South Korea and the “Exportation of Pollution”................................................... 176 8.4.1 The Exportation of Pollution and the Social Costs............... 176 8.4.2 The Exportation of Asbestos Pollution to South Korea........ 177 8.5 The International Proliferation of Asbestos Disasters...................... 181 Notes.......................................................................................................... 181 References.................................................................................................. 182 9 Inaction on Asbestos Disasters and Delayed Countermeasures.......... 185 Norio Obata 9.1 Introduction....................................................................................... 185 9.2 A Diversity of Causes and the Realities of Asbestos Contamination and Harm.................................................................. 186 9.3 Government Inaction on the Asbestos Problem............................... 188 9.3.1 The Government Response to Date...................................... 188 9.3.2 A Failed Legislative Drive.................................................... 190 9.4 The Uncoordinated Response of Government Agencies.................. 191 9.4.1 Efforts by the Government and Its Agencies........................ 191 9.4.2 A Less-than-Sweeping Precautionary Approach.................. 193 9.5 Inadequate Asbestos Management Rules and Standards.................. 194 9.5.1 From Occupational Illnesses (Workplace Disasters) to Industrial Pollution........................................................... 194 9.5.2 The Necessity of Systematic Standards Reflecting an Awareness of the Asbestos Lifecycle............................... 195 9.6 The Responsibilities of Large Companies........................................ 196 9.7 The Act on Asbestos Health Damage Relief: Establishment and Selected Problems of Funding Obligations............................... 198 9.8 Closing Remarks............................................................................... 199 Notes.......................................................................................................... 200 Reference................................................................................................... 200 10 Process Tracing of Asbestos Politics in Japan: Focus on Fiscal Years 2005 and 2006................................................................ 201 Michiya Mori 10.1 Introduction..................................................................................... 201 10.2 Asbestos and the Political Context.................................................. 202 10.3 The Repercussions of the Kubota Shock: July 2005....................... 204 10.4 National Government Policies on Asbestos, Part 1: August 2005......................................................................... 209 10.5 National Government Policies on Asbestos, Part 2: September 2005................................................................... 212 10.6 The Decision-making Process Over the Act on Asbestos Health Damage Relief: October 2005 to January 2006................... 216 10.7 Relief for Victims Enters a New Stage: February 2006 to March 2007......................................................... 222 10.8 Concluding Remarks....................................................................... 226 Notes.......................................................................................................... 227 References.................................................................................................. 231 11 Future Challenges for Asbestos Policy in the Construction Industry..................................................................................................... 233 Kazuhiko Ishihara 11.1 Introduction..................................................................................... 233 11.2 Asbestos Measures in the Construction Industry: Current Conditions and Challenges................................................. 233 11.3 The Challenge for Measures Against Stock Asbestos in Buildings..................................................................................... 234 11.3.1 Problems Associated with Maintenance............................ 235 11.3.2 Problems Posed by Stock Asbestos When Buildings are Demolished.................................................. 237 11.3.3 Problems Posed by Removal Methods for Sprayed Asbestos Coatings.......................................... 238 11.4 Challenges for Measures Against Asbestos-Related Diseases in Construction Industry Workers..................................... 239 11.4.1 The Incidence of Asbestos-Related Diseases Among Tokyo Doken Union Members........................................... 240 11.4.2 Problems with Workers Accident Compensation Eligibility and Compensation Amounts for Patients with Asbestos-Related Diseases........................................ 244 11.4.3 Construction-Related Asbestos Litigation in the Tokyo Metropolitan Area................................................... 246 11.5 In Lieu of a Conclusion................................................................... 248 Notes.......................................................................................................... 248 Reference................................................................................................... 249 12 Local Government Measures Against Asbestos: Tokyo Metropolitan and Osaka Prefectural Governments as Case Studies......................................................................................... 251 Kazuhisa Hiraoka 12.1 Introduction..................................................................................... 251 12.2 The Local Government Role in the Asbestos Policy Arena and the Status of Current Efforts..................................................... 252 12.2.1 Environmental and Disaster Policy Doctrine and Local Government Measures Regarding Asbestos............................................................................. 252 12.2.2 An Overview of Local Government Measures Against Asbestos............................................................... 253 12.3 Tokyo Metropolis Measures Against Asbestos............................... 256 12.3.1 Tokyo Metropolitan Government Measures...................... 256 12.3.2 Nerima City Measures....................................................... 263 12.4 Osaka Prefecture Measures Against Asbestos................................ 268 12.4.1 Asbestos Pollution Countermeasures in Osaka Prefecture to the End of the 1970s..................................... 268 12.4.2 Asbestos Pollution Countermeasures in Osaka Prefecture from the 1980s.................................................. 270 12.5 Closing Remarks............................................................................. 276 Notes.......................................................................................................... 277 References.................................................................................................. 278 13 Asbestos Litigation in Japan: Recent Trends and Related Issues.................................................................................... 281 Katsumi Matsumoto 13.1 Introduction..................................................................................... 281 13.2 A Comparative Review of Asbestos Litigation in Japan and the US......................................................................... 284 13.2.1 US Trends.......................................................................... 284 13.2.2 Features of Asbestos Litigation in Japan........................... 284 13.3 Theoretical Issues for Asbestos Litigation in Japan........................ 288 13.3.1 Causal Relationships.......................................................... 288 13.3.2 Predictability...................................................................... 292 13.3.3 Prescription........................................................................ 293 13.3.4 National Government Liability and the Product Liability of Asbestos Companies....................................... 296 13.4 Conclusions..................................................................................... 298 Notes.......................................................................................................... 299 References.................................................................................................. 301 14 The French Indemnification Fund for Asbestos Victims: Features and Formative Historical Factors: Preliminary Observations for a Comparative Analysis of Asbestos Relief Frameworks................................................................................... 303 Gakuto Takamura 14.1 Introduction..................................................................................... 303 14.2 Historical Factors............................................................................. 304 14.2.1 Delayed Restrictions on Asbestos Use.............................. 304 14.2.2 Principles of the Workers Accident Compensation Law of 1898....................................................................... 304 14.2.3 The FIVA Challenge.......................................................... 306 14.3 The FIVA Framework...................................................................... 14.4 Compensation Specifics.................................................................. 308 14.5 Current Issues.................................................................................. 309 14.6 Concluding Remarks....................................................................... 311 Notes.......................................................................................................... 311 References.................................................................................................. 312 Index.................................................................................................................. 315