Construction Minister Katsutsugu Sekiya spoke positively Tuesday about the possibility of settling by arbitration a lawsuit over pollution in Kawasaki, Japan brought by a group of residents suffering illnesses caused by vehicle exhaust, in a press conference held Tuesday. "There are some elderly people among the plaintiffs who have been involved in the lawsuit for a long time. I think they have no time to waste and, if possible, the lawsuit should be settled amicably," Sekiya told a press conference after a Cabinet meeting. A number of Kawasaki residents who have been officially declared victims of pollution-related illnesses, and the bereaved families of other victims, filed a lawsuit with the Kawasaki branch of the Yokohama District Court against the government and the Metropolitan Expressway Public Corporation, demanding compensation and the prohibition of pollution in excess of government-set standards.