PUKUSHIMA RADIATION-EXPOSURE SUIT CAN CONTINUE IN U.S. COURT

摘要

Bybee, Circuit Judge: On March 11, 2011, a 9.0 earthquake and a massive tsunami struck Japan's northeastern coast. The United States participated in a relief effort known as Operation Tomodachi (Japanese for "friend"). The plaintiffs in this putative class action lawsuit are members of the U.S. Navy who allege that they were exposed to radiation when deployed near the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant ("FNPP") as part of Operation Tomodachi. The earthquake and tsunami damaged the FNPP, causing radiation leaks. Plaintiffs sued Defendant Tokyo Electric Power Company, Inc. ("TEPCO"), the owner and operator of the FNPP, in the Southern District of California for negligence and other causes of action. TEPCO moved to dismiss the case on the grounds of international comity, forum non conveniens, the political question doctrine, and the firefighter's rule. The district court denied the motion on all grounds, but certified its order denying TEPCO's motion to dismiss for immediate appeal under 28 U.S.C. § 1292(b). We agreed to take the interlocutory appeal. At this interlocutory stage in the proceedings, we affirm,the district court's denial of TEPCO's; motion to dismiss on all grounds. Further developments, however, may require the district court to revisit some of the issues that TEPCO raised in its motion to dismiss.