Noise Civilians, Japanese Court Fines To Military Air Base

Illustration of the Japanese Self Defense Forces Air Base. (Wikimedia Commons/t-konno)

JAKARTA - A Japanese court ordered the Government on Monday to pay compensation of 123 million Japanese yen or approximately 1.1 million US dollars to residents near the Air Self-Defense Forces Air Force base in Miyazaki Prefecture, southwest Japan.

The court decided to grant the demands of local residents, who were noisy with activity at the military airbase at night.

However, the Miyazaki District Court where the trial was held rejected the plaintiff's request to stop the night and morning flights at Nyutabaru Air Base.

The reason is the need to operate SDF aircraft and appreciate the Japanese Government's efforts to reduce noise through steps such as installing soundproofing in nearby houses.

The court ordered the government to pay damages to 172 of the 178 plaintiffs, who were deemed to have suffered a noise level of 75 or above on the internationally recognized aircraft noise index, which was used in similar lawsuits in Japan.

It excluded the remaining six plaintiffs, saying they suffered a noise level below 75 on the index. The plaintiffs are demanding monthly payments of 35,000 yen each.

The compensation amount ranges from 4,000 yen to 20,000 yen per month, depending on the noise level on the index, known as the Weighted Equivalent Continuous Perceived Noise Level.

"The noise disturbed the occupants' sleep and affected activities such as speaking", said Presiding Judge Yasuto Odajima, who heard the lawsuit, citing Kyodo News Monday, June 28.

But the court rejected claims that noise causes health problems such as deafness and high blood pressure, citing a lack of scientific basis. The ruling also rejected the government's request to compensate for possible future health damage due to connecting flights at the airbase at Shintomi, saying it was difficult to determine noise levels in advance.

The government argues that aircraft noise has been reduced by soundproofing houses. And, these measures should be considered in determining the amount of compensation and the scope of its recipients.