Subscribe free to our newsletters via your
. Nuclear Energy News .




CIVIL NUCLEAR
Japan court blocks restarting of two nuclear reactors
By Shingo ITO
Tokyo (AFP) April 14, 2015


A Japanese court on Tuesday issued a landmark injunction against the restarting of two atomic reactors, after the country's nuclear watchdog had given the green light to switch them back on.

The district court in the central prefecture of Fukui made the temporary order in response to a bid by local residents to halt the restart of the No. 3 and No. 4 reactors at the Takahama nuclear power plant, a court official said.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) last December approved the restarting of the reactors, saying they met tougher safety standards introduced after Japan's tsunami-sparked nuclear disaster at Fukushima in 2011.

But "the safety of the reactors hasn't been secured", the court ruled, saying the watchdog's new standards were "lacking rationality", according to public broadcaster NHK.

The reactors could be damaged by an earthquake even smaller than that envisaged in the safety standards, the court said.

Plant operator Kansai Electric Power slammed the injunction as "extremely regrettable and utterly unacceptable" and said it would appeal against the decision.

A lawyer representing the plaintiffs called the ruling a "perfect victory".

"This is the best decision that we could have expected," he told supporters outside the courthouse.

Two other reactors at Takahama also remain offline.

Greenpeace hailed the court decision, saying it "could have a nationwide ripple effect on similar pending injunction cases -- threatening to derail the Japanese government's nuclear reactor plans".

A separate court ruling on the restart of two other reactors in southern Japan is expected later this month.

- 'Warning from the court' -

Hiroshi Miyano, a nuclear expert and visiting professor at Hosei University in Tokyo, said the court decision would affect the timing of future reactor restarts.

"This can be seen as a warning from the court, which told the (plant) operator that it has to better explain its resumption plans," Miyano said.

"But it does not mean the possibility of their resumption has disappeared," he added, saying the utility may still be able to convince the court that the reactors could withstand a quake.

The government's top spokesman Yoshihide Suga said Tokyo "respects" the watchdog's earlier approval to turn on the reactors, but did not comment directly on the court ruling.

"There is no change in our policy to go ahead with resuming (nuclear) operations," Suga added.

Pro-atomic Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has backed an industry push to return to nuclear -- which once supplied more than one quarter of Japan's electricity -- as a plunging yen sent the country's energy import bill soaring.

But Japan has seen a groundswell of public opposition to the technology since Fukushima, where reactors went into meltdown after a tsunami swamped their cooling systems -- setting off the worst atomic disaster since Chernobyl in 1986.

Japan's entire stable of nuclear power stations was gradually switched off following the disaster, while tens of thousands of people were evacuated due to concerns about radiation exposure.

Many are still unable to return to their homes and scientists have warned that some areas around the plant may remain uninhabitable for decades or more.

mis-kh-si/pb/sm

Kansai Electric Power


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


.


Related Links
Nuclear Power News - Nuclear Science, Nuclear Technology
Powering The World in the 21st Century at Energy-Daily.com






Comment on this article via your Facebook, Yahoo, AOL, Hotmail login.

Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle




Memory Foam Mattress Review
Newsletters :: SpaceDaily :: SpaceWar :: TerraDaily :: Energy Daily
XML Feeds :: Space News :: Earth News :: War News :: Solar Energy News





CIVIL NUCLEAR
Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant to Officially Shutdown
Moscow (Sputnik) Apr 14, 2015
The State Inspectorate for Nuclear Regulation of Ukraine issued a permit for the completion of the Chernobyl NPP decommissioning and dismantling activities of the first three units. The State Inspectorate for Nuclear Regulation of Ukraine issued a separate permit for the completion of the Chernobyl NPP decommissioning and dismantling activities of the first three units, which survived the ... read more


CIVIL NUCLEAR
Swimming algae offer Penn researchers insights into living fluid dynamics

Plant cell structure discovery could lead to improved renewable materials

Biofuel crops replace grasslands nationwide

Algae from wastewater solves 2 problems

CIVIL NUCLEAR
Trina ships 9.9 MW modules for major Panama solar farm

Ascent Solar Technologies supplies power cells for UAS

Asheville Solar System Manufacturing Facility Cuts Ribbon

Sunrun Brings New Jobs To Nevada With Las Vegas Expansion

CIVIL NUCLEAR
Cornell deploys dual ZephIR lidars for more accurate turbulence study

U.S. to fund bigger wind turbine blades

Gamesa and AREVA create the joint-venture Adwen

Time ripe for Atlantic wind, advocates say

CIVIL NUCLEAR
Shifts in electricity generation spur net job growth, but coal jobs decline

Japan to pledge 20% greenhouse gas cut: report

Residential research poor foundation for sustainable development

Latin America divided between oil and green energy

CIVIL NUCLEAR
New material could boost batteries' power, help power plants

Research could usher in next generation of batteries, fuel cells

How recharging leaves behind microscopic debris inside batteries

New report identifies possible next steps in US energy development

CIVIL NUCLEAR
Earthlike 'Star Wars' Tatooines may be common

Planets in the habitable zone around most stars, calculate researchers

Our Solar System May Have Once Harbored Super-Earths

SOFIA Finds Missing Link Between Supernovae and Planet Formation

CIVIL NUCLEAR
Lockheed Martin integrating data systems on patrol boats

Fifth new Coast Guard cutter readied for acceptance trials

New submarine maintenance deal for Boustead DCNS Naval Corp.

Borey-Class Nuclear Submarines to Serve Russian Fleet Until 2050

CIVIL NUCLEAR
Team Returning Orbiter to Duty After Computer Swap

More evidence for groundwater on Mars

Scars on Mars from 2012 Rover Landing Fade - Usually

Bill Nye and others discussing taking humans to Mars by 2033




The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2014 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service.