Japan Court Nixes Suit Seeking Halt of Oi Nuclear Plant

Kyoto, July 14 (Jiji Press)–A Japanese district court on Tuesday rejected a lawsuit seeking an injunction to suspend operations at the No. 3 and No. 4 reactors at Kansai Electric Power Co.’s Oi nuclear plant in Fukui Prefecture. Akira Saito, presiding judge at Kyoto District Court, ruled against the petition filed by some 3,400 people, including residents of Kyoto Prefecture, which neighbors Fukui, demanding that Kansai Electric and the central government halt the plant. The plaintiffs argued that risks related to the stability of the Oi plant’s foundations were underestimated and that emergency plans did not account for traffic conditions that could hinder evacuation. “There are fatal flaws in safety measures and evacuation plans,” they said. In response, the plant operator said that the safety of the Oi plant has been sufficiently ensured through various measures and that there is no specific risk of radioactive materials being released abnormally. Kansai Electric also said that the central and local governments are developing disaster management plans to protect residents’ lives and property in accordance with their respective responsibilities. About 1,100 people initially filed the lawsuit in November 2012 after the March 2011 meltdown at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.’s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear plant in Fukushima Prefecture. The number of plaintiffs later grew to more than 3,400 across 42 prefectures. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]