Court Rejects Injunctions against Mihama, Takahama Nuclear Reactors

Kanazawa, Ishikawa Pref., Nov. 28 (Jiji Press)–A Japanese high court branch on Friday rejected injunctions by local residents seeking to halt the operations of aging nuclear power reactors run by Kansai Electric Power Co. in the central prefecture of Fukui. The plaintiffs had argued that safety measures at the No. 3 reactor at the Mihama nuclear plant and the No. 1-4 reactors at the Takahama nuclear plant were inadequate. Kazuaki Ono, presiding judge at the Kanazawa branch of Nagoya High Court, said the residents’ claims are only based on “abstract risks of nuclear plants.” Both plants “pose no specific danger threatening the personal interests of residents,” he said. The judge rejected the residents’ argument that the assumed earthquake motions set for the reactors were low. It is natural for assumed earthquake motions to be lower than actual motions observed in Japan in the past, Ono said. The method for setting the assumed motions is “not unreasonable”. Lawyer Kazuhiro Kasahara, a member of the defense team, described the decision as “very unjust.” He said the team and residents will discuss a response. In March last year, Fukui District Court dismissed the petitions, ruling that Nuclear Regulation Authority inspections and other safety reviews were appropriate. The plaintiffs appealed the decision. The Mihama No. 3 reactor and the Takahama No. 1 and 2 reactors began operations between 1974 and 1976, with the other two Takahama reactors starting in 1985. All have passed NRA screenings based on safety standards introduced after the 2011 triple meltdown at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc.’s Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. Kansai Electric Power said it welcomed the court’s understanding of its position and will continue to work on safety and reliability improvements. END [Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]