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information about Fukushima published in English in Japanese media info publiée en anglais dans la presse japonaise

Fukui Court rejects restart

 April 14, 2015

Court rejects restart of Takahama nuclear reactors

 

http://mainichi.jp/english/english/newsselect/news/20150414p2g00m0dm057000c.html

 

FUKUI, Japan (Kyodo) -- A court issued an injunction on Tuesday ordering Kansai Electric Power Co. not to restart two reactors at its Takahama nuclear power plant on the Sea of Japan coast that have cleared safety screening by the nation's nuclear safety regulator.

The Fukui District Court's decision -- the first such injunction in Japan forbidding nuclear reactors from resuming operations -- concerns the Nos. 3 and 4 reactors at the four-unit complex in Fukui Prefecture, located in an area along Wakasa Bay dotted with several nuclear power plants.

The court said it cannot see credible evidence in the utility's assumptions regarding earthquake risk.

The injunction is effective immediately. The utility serving Osaka and its surrounding region is expected to appeal the decision, but will not be able to restart the reactors unless its arguments are accepted.

The court decision is likely to affect not only the utility's resumption plans but also the government's energy policy, which places nuclear power as a key electricity source despite the crisis at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

Kansai Electric hoped to restart the two reactors in November after they cleared a Nuclear Regulation Authority screening in February based on what the Japanese government calls "the world's toughest safety standards" introduced after the 2011 Fukushima meltdowns.

Presiding Judge Hideaki Higuchi at the district court also presided over a May 2014 ruling by the same court that ordered the regional utility not to restart two reactors at another nuclear power plant in the same prefecture.

In the latest case filed by residents in Fukui and elsewhere in December, they claimed that an unexpected earthquake could cause a severe nuclear accident and spread radioactive materials. Kansai Electric argued that the company has taken sufficient safety measures.

All of Japan's 48 commercial reactors had gone offline by the end of September 2013 and remain inactive as none has yet completed all procedures required for a restart. Amid persistent safety concerns, the majority of Japanese remain opposed to restarting nuclear reactors.

Power companies are desperate to restart their nuclear plants amid an increase in imported fuel costs for thermal power generation in the absence of nuclear power. Kansai Electric relied heavily on nuclear power for its power generation before the Fukushima crisis triggered by a huge earthquake and tsunami.

Only two other nuclear reactors, owned by Kyushu Electric Power Co., have obtained the regulator's safety clearance so far.

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Fukui court forbids Takahama nuclear plant restart
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2015/04/14/national/crime-legal/critical-case-fukui-court-rule-takahama-nuclear-plant-restart/#.VS187ZPwlLM

Staff Writer

Plans to bring Kansai Electric Power Co.’s Takahama No. 3 and 4 nuclear reactors back online were dealt a severe setback Tuesday when the Fukui District Court approved an injunction against restarting them, citing safety concerns.

It marks the first time in Japan’s nearly half-century of commercial atomic power operations that a court has ordered an injunction against firing up reactors.

The decision comes despite the Nuclear Regulation Authority appraising the reactors against technical and safety criteria and clearing them for restart last November.

The injunction, which took effect immediately, is expected to push back Kepco’s schedule — it originally envisaged restarting the reactors this November — but the longer term impact is unclear.

For Prime Minister Shinzo Abe, resuming nuclear power is key to domestic revitalization, particularly the success of his “Abenomics” policy mix.

In its ruling, the court challenged Kepco’s assertion that the reactors were safe. Presiding Judge Hideaki Higuchi, who in a regular lawsuit last year ruled that the Oi No. 3 and 4 units not be restarted, said Kepco had not shown evidence its earthquake simulation data, which were used to conduct the safety evaluation, could be relied upon.

“This ruling is a giant step for efforts to abolish nuclear power, and, in practice, stops the restart of the reactors,” said lawyers representing nine people seeking the injunction.

“I was not that surprised, as we had indications that the court would rule in our favor,” said Atsuko Nishimura, one of the nine.

Part of the reason for the lack of complete surprise was that Nishimura and those seeking the injunctions felt that Higuchi, at least, might be on their side. So did Kepco, which undertook legal efforts to remove him. Those attempts failed last week when a high court rejected an appeal to overturn a lower court’s dismissal of a move to unseat them.

In a statement, Kepco expressed regret over the decision but said it remained determined to restart the Takahama reactors.

“We’re preparing to file the necessary papers to get the injunction lifted at the earliest possible date and will make efforts to stress the safety of the reactors,” the utility said.

Pro-nuclear Fukui Gov. Issei Nishikawa, who was elected to a fourth term on Sunday, had no comment on the ruling and only addressed the safety issue in a written statement.

“The government is pursuing the restart of those reactors whose safety has been confirmed by the NRA. Fukui will respond to the ruling by sufficiently confirming the central government’s and Kepco’s response, and by making safety the top priority,” Nishikawa said.

Kyoto-based anti-nuclear activist Aileen Mioko Smith said the ruling would likely have a huge political impact on restart plans elsewhere. But she added that she hoped the injunction will also influence nuclear safety policy at the NRA.

“The (injunction) ruling is a preventative measure. Seismologists have warned this area could see another big earthquake. To have an injunction will, hopefully, prevent another nuclear disaster like Fukushima, or worse,” she said.

 

 

Fukui court blocks reactor restart

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20150414_37.html

 

 

Apr. 14, 2015 - Updated 09:13 UTC+2

A court in Fukui Prefecture, central Japan, has issued a provisional injunction blocking the restart of 2 reactors at the Takahama nuclear plant.

A group of 9 citizens had filed for the injunction to keep the plant's No.3 and 4 reactors offline, citing safety problems.

Officials of the plant's operator, Kansai Electric Power Company, said they had taken thorough anti-quake measures based on lessons learned from the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in 2011.

At the Fukui District Court on Tuesday, presiding judge Hideaki Higuchi said Kansai Electric is too optimistic in assuming that no major earthquake would hit Takahama, as 5 unexpectedly large quakes have hit nuclear plants across Japan in less than a decade.
The judge also said the Nuclear Regulation Authority's new requirements should be as tough as possible to eliminate any risk of disaster, but are too lax to ensure the safety of nuclear reactors.

Tuesday's injunction takes effect immediately, so Kansai Electric will not be able to restart the reactors unless the court decision is overturned.

Lawyers for the utility said they will consider lodging an objection.

 

Ruling on Takahama reactors' restart

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/20150414_12.html

 

 

Apr. 14, 2015 - Updated 03:17 UTC+2

 

People in Fukui Prefecture in central Japan are awaiting a court decision on whether a local nuclear plant should be allowed to go back online.

The Fukui District Court is set to deliver its decision on Tuesday on the Takahama nuclear power plant. A group of 9 citizens has filed for a provisional injunction to block the restart of the plant's No.3 and No.4 reactors.

The citizens say plant operator Kansai Electric is underestimating the maximum strength of an earthquake that could hit Takahama. They also claim there are safety problems with equipment, and warn of the risk of a serious accident.

Kansai Electric officials say they have taken thorough anti-quake measures based on the lessons learned from the accident at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant in 2011. They deny that the plant's equipment is unsafe.

In February, the Nuclear Regulation Authority found the 2 Takahama reactors in compliance with new requirements introduced after the Fukushima accident.

With procedures for a restart already underway, the Fukui District Court has judged that it needs to promptly deliver its decision. If it issues an injunction, the measure could take effect immediately.

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