Essential Arrangement for the Programme Implementation:
In particular, national and local governments legislation, and administrative and financial
arrangement in 1970’s supported Chisso’s compensation to those suffered and the
environmental recovery efforts. Also, law suits conclusion affected to the case positively to
some extent. Although they did not directly affected to the mercury emission control itself as
envisaged (since they were mainly introduced after Chisso stopped discharging toxic effluent),
it should be rather pointed out the Minamata case itself had great impact on the introduction
of those legal and administrative efforts.
It is noted that the main reason of delayed control and recovery-efforts was until 1970 the
principle of ‘burden of proof’ was strictly applied in law cases as well as administrative
decision, and the concept of ‘environmental reversibility’ and ‘pre-caution’ were immature