$221M For Five Lives

Costs caused by a huge oil spill off Japan's western coast in 1997 will be covered by Prisco Traffic Co., the Russian owner of that tanker, with $221 million.

The tanker Nakhodka spilled at least 4.9 million liters of oil when it split apart on Jan. 2, 1997, damaging more than 800 kilometers of Japan's western coastline.

$170 million will be paid to the Fukui prefecture, whose coastline was the most affected by the spill, and the rest $51.27 million will be paid to the central government.

The lawsuit against Prisco Traffic was filed with the Tokyo District Court in 1999, demanding compensation for the oil spill.

Remember you that thousands of fishermen, firefighters and volunteers joined the coast guard's efforts to clean up the spill in Fukui. Five volunteers died during the operation.