Takahama: Lawyers not to appeal

April 5, 2017

Residents near Takahama nuke plant to focus on main lawsuit after setback

http://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20170405/p2a/00m/0na/002000c

OTSU -- Lawyers for Shiga Prefecture residents who were seeking a provisional injunction to suspend operations at the idled Takahama Nuclear Power Plant in Fukui Prefecture have decided not to appeal a high court decision dismissing their petition to the Supreme Court.

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The lawyers explained that they will rather concentrate on a main lawsuit that the residents filed with the Otsu District Court seeking a ban on operations at the Takahama plant operated by Kansai Electric Power Co.

The decision handed down by the Osaka High Court on March 28, which overturned a provisional injunction by the lower court banning operations at the plant, was finalized on April 4.

About 30 residents of Shiga Prefecture living within 70 kilometers from the atomic power station filed the petition with the district court, which then issued a provisional injunction in March last year banning operations at the No. 3 and No. 4 reactors at the plant.

However, the Osaka High Court overturned the injunction and gave the green light to operations at the plant on the grounds that it cannot be deemed that the power station lacks safety measures.

According to lawyers for the residents, concerns have been raised that a decision to be handed down by the Supreme Court could have an impact on other similar lawsuits.