information about Fukushima published in English in Japanese media info publiée en anglais dans la presse japonaise
28 Novembre 2014
November 27, 2014
http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/nuclear.html
Nov. 27, 2014 - Updated 10:14 UTC+1
A court has rejected a petition by residents seeking not to allow the restart of nuclear reactors in Fukui Prefecture, central Japan.
About 180 residents in the nearby prefectures of Shiga and Kyoto and elsewhere had filed the petition about 4 reactors at the Ohi and Takahama nuclear power plants. They are run by Kansai Electric Power Company.
The residents argued that a powerful earthquake and tsunami could lead to a severe accident.
The Otsu District Court dismissed their demand on Thursday.
Presiding Judge Yoshihiko Yamamoto said even though the residents claimed that the restart is imminent, the Nuclear Regulation Authority is conducting screenings based on the premise of resumption.
Yamamoto said the reactors will never be brought back online, unless officials forge a coordinated accident preparedness plan among local municipalities and other parties, as well as evacuation plans for residents.
He said it is inconceivable that the NRA would allow the restart in a hasty manner.
He concluded that there is no need to order the operator not to restart the reactors.
The NRA is expected to make public a draft report by the end of the year that would say the 2 reactors at the Takahama plant have passed its screening.
Kansai Electric calls the court decision appropriate. The utility says it will take every possible measure to ensure safety, and seek the understanding of local residents.
A leader of the residents who petitioned, Yoshinori Tsuji, told reporters that the court said the restart is impossible without a coordination agreement or evacuation plans.
Tsuji said that despite that, the court has left the final judgment to the NRA. He said the court made an unjust decision.
http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20141127p2g00m0dm073000c.html
OTSU, Japan (Kyodo) -- A Japanese court on Thursday rejected a demand by some western Japan residents seeking suspension of Kansai Electric Power Co.'s planned restart of nuclear reactors at its Takahama and Oi plants, now offline for a safety screening by the country's nuclear regulator.
The decision by the Otsu District Court in Shiga Prefecture contradicts a ruling by another district court in May not to allow the restart of two reactors at the Oi complex in Fukui Prefecture. Kansai Electric has appealed the May ruling.
In the latest case, residents in Shiga claimed there are many geological faults around the reactors and there is a strong likelihood that they will cause more serious earthquakes and tsunamis than currently anticipated. Shiga neighbors Fukui, which lies to the north.
Both four-unit plants' Nos. 3 and 4 reactors are currently undergoing the Nuclear Regulation Authority's screening based on tougher safety requirements imposed following the 2011 Fukushima meltdowns.
The Takahama site's two units are in the final phase of the assessment process which is necessary for any nuclear reactor in Japan before being allowed to go back online. Their operations could be resumed as early as next spring.
In the decision, however, Presiding Judge Yoshihiko Yamamoto said it is "unlikely" that the safety regulator will make a hasty decision to allow the reactors to restart, dismissing the residents' claim that resumption is looming and a severe accident could occur such as in the Fukushima crisis.
Kansai Electric, which had sought to have the residents' request rejected, said the court decision is "reasonable" and it will seek to restart the nuclear plants "as soon as possible" after safety is confirmed by the regulator.
In the wake of the Fukushima disaster that made it difficult for power companies to keep running their nuclear plants, judicial rulings on the plants' operation have been divided.
When the Fukui District Court ordered Kansai Electric Power to suspend the restart of the Oi units in May, the ruling admitted the importance of nuclear power plants for society, but pointed out that they are "merely a tool for generating electricity and thus inferior to people's fundamental rights (to life)."
In a similar case lodged in Osaka to seek suspension of the two Oi units, however, a district court rejected the demand in April 2013. A high court upheld the decision in May this year, saying that it is not appropriate for a court to decide on the matter before the government does.
Before the 2011 nuclear crisis was triggered by a massive earthquake-tsunami disaster, there were a few court judgments that denied the operation of nuclear facilities but all were later overturned by higher courts, including the Kanazawa District Court decision in 2006 to shut down a reactor operated by Hokuriku Electric Power Co.
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Kyodo
OTSU, SHIGA PREF. – The Otsu District Court on Thursday rejected a demand by Shiga residents to halt the restart of nuclear reactors at Kansai Electric Power Co.’s Takahama and Oi ’s ruling, residents of Shiga argued that the many geological faults in the vicinity could cause stronger earthquakes and tsunami than currently anticipated.
Both nuclear plants have four reactors each. Two at each plant are being screened by the Nuclear Regulation Authority based on tougher safety requirements imposed following the triple core meltdown in Fukushima in March 2011.
The Takahama site’s two units are in the final phase of the assessment process. They could be back in operation as early as next spring.
In Thursday’s decision, presiding Judge Yoshihiko Yamamoto said it is unlikely the NRA will be overly hasty in allowing the reactors to resume operation, dismissing the residents’ claim that resumption is looming and a severe accident could occur.
Kansai Electric said that the ruling was “reasonable” and that it will seek to restart the reactors “as soon as possible” after they are confirmed safe by the NRA.
Since the Fukushima disaster, judicial rulings on nuclear power plants have been divided. When the Fukui District Court ordered Kansai Electric to suspend the restart of the Oi reactors in May, the ruling affirmed their importance to society but pointed out they are “merely a tool for generating electricity and thus inferior to people’s fundamental rights.”
A similar case lodged in Osaka to halt the two Oi units was rejected by the district court in April 2013. A high court upheld the decision in May this year, saying it is not appropriate for a court to decide on the matter before the government does.
Before the Fukushima disaster, a few court judgments had sided against nuclear power plants, but all were later overturned by higher courts, including a Kanazawa District Court decision in 2006 that ordered the closure of a reactor run by Hokuriku Electric Power Co.
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