嘉手納爆音訴訟の判決を伝える原告側の弁護士ら＝２３日午前、沖縄市の那覇地裁沖縄支部前
米軍嘉手納飛行場の周辺住民２万２０４８人が、国を相手に夜間・早朝の米軍機飛行差し止めや騒音被害に対する過去、将来分の損害賠償を求めた第３次嘉手納爆音訴訟で、那覇地裁沖縄支部（藤倉徹也裁判長）は２３日、爆音は受忍限度を超えていると認定し、総額約３０２億円の損害賠償の支払いを国に命じた。全国の基地爆音訴訟で過去最高額となる。一方で、飛行差し止めの請求について藤倉裁判長は「被告（国）に対して支配の及ばない第三者（米国）の行為の差し止めを請求するものだ」として、従来の基地爆音訴訟と同様に「第三者行為論」を採用し棄却した。原告側は控訴する方針を示した。
損害賠償算定の基準月額も過去最高水準。うるささ指数（Ｗ値）７５以上の原告に月額７千円、以後Ｗ９０以上までＷ値５増加ごとに６千円を追加した。Ｗ値９５以上原告には月額３万５千円の支払いを命じた。将来分の請求は却下した。２次訴訟で賠償が認められなかった読谷村座喜味以北の原告についても「受忍限度」を超えているとして、賠償を認めた。一方で、騒音分布図（コンター）外原告の請求は認めなかった。
判決で藤倉裁判長は、爆音による生活妨害や睡眠妨害などに加え「高血圧症発生の健康上の悪影響のリスク増大も生じている」として原告側が主張していた健康被害の一部を認定した。難聴や虚血性心疾患のリスク増大などについては「証拠が足りない」として認めなかった。
原告の「共通被害」ではないとしながらも、爆音が成人よりも子どもに大きな影響を与えている可能性があることや、戦争体験者に大きな不安を与えていることを認定した。
１次・２次訴訟で爆音が違法と判断された後も国や米国は抜本的な被害防止策を取らなかったとして「周辺住民に違法な被害が漫然と放置されていると評価されてもやむを得ない」と指摘した。第３次訴訟は２０１１年４月に提起された。原告数は２次訴訟（約５５００人）の４倍で、全国の基地爆音訴訟で最大。
In third Kadena noise lawsuit, demand for flight injunction dismissed but 30.2 billion ordered in damages
Attorneys for the plaintiffs conveying the ruling in the Kadena noise
lawsuit on the morning of February 23 in front of the Okinawa branch of
the Naha High Court in Okinawa City
February 24, 2017 Ryukyu Shimpo
In the third Kadena noise lawsuit, in which 22,048 residents living near U.S. Kadena Air Station demanded an injunction against nighttime and early morning flights by U.S. military aircraft and damages for past and future harm they have incurred, the Okinawa branch of the Naha District Court (judge: Tetsuya Fujikura) ruled on February 23 to recognize that the explosive noise exceeds tolerable levels and order the national government to pay the plaintiffs a total of roughly 30.2 billion yen in damages. The amount of damages exceeds that ordered in any prior base-related noise lawsuit in Japan. However, regarding the demand for an injunction against flights, Judge Fujikura stated that “[this demand] is asking the defendant [the Japanese government] to halt an act being performed by a third party [the United States] over which it has no authority,” and the court thus adopted the “third-party conduct theory”, as in previous base-related noise lawsuits, to reject the demand. The plaintiffs expressed their intention to appeal the ruling.
The monthly amount of damages ordered was higher than in any past case. Plaintiffs experiencing a “W value” (Weighted Equivalent Continuous Perceived Noise Level) of 75 or higher are to receive 7,000 yen per month, and for each increment of W5 until W90 or higher, plaintiffs will receive an additional 6,000 yen per month. Plaintiffs experiencing W95 or higher will receive 35,000 yen per month. The demand for payment of damages for harm to be incurred in the future was dismissed. Plaintiffs living north of Zamami, Yomitan Village, who were not compensated in the second Kadena noise lawsuit, were this time also recognized to be experiencing noise exceeding tolerable levels, and damages were ordered to be paid to them as well. However, damages were not ordered to be paid to plaintiffs living outside the noise distribution map (contour).
In the ruling, Judge Fujikura stated that in addition to obstruction of daily life and obstruction of sleep resulting from explosive noise, “there is also an increased risk of high blood pressure, an adverse effect on health,” thereby recognizing some of the plaintiffs’ assertions of health damage. The court did not recognize other health issues like hearing loss and an increased risk of ischemic heart disease on the grounds that evidence thereof is insufficient.
Though asserting that it is not “common damage” suffered by all the plaintiffs, the court did recognize the possibility that explosive noise could have a greater impact on children than adults, and that it could cause great distress to war survivors.
On the grounds that even after the explosive noise at Kadena was ruled unlawful in the first and second Kadena noise lawsuits, the Japanese and U.S. governments did not take fundamental damage prevention measures, the court stated, “we must assess that unlawful damage to surrounding residents is being carelessly left unaddressed.” The third Kadena noise lawsuit was initiated in April 2011. The plaintiffs numbered four times those in the second lawsuit (roughly 5,500), making it the biggest base-related noise lawsuit in Japan’s history.
(English translation by T&CT and Sandi Aritza)
Main points of the ruling:
• Demand for injunction against flights was rejected
• Amount of monthly damages:
o Areas experiencing W75 or higher: 7,000 yen
o Areas experiencing W80 or higher: 13,000 yen
o Areas experiencing W85 or higher: 19,000 yen
o Areas experiencing W90 or higher: 25,000 yen
o Areas experiencing W95 or higher: 35,000 yen
• Demand for compensation for future damages was dismissed
• Plaintiffs north of Zamami, Yomitan Village also experience damage exceeding tolerable levels
• Explosion noises increase the risk of high blood pressure
• Unlawful damage is being left unaddressed
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