ID :
51319
Thu, 03/19/2009 - 12:28
Auther :
Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/51319
The shortlink copeid
Japan High Court Overturns Decision Ordering Reactor Halt
Kanazawa, Ishikawa Pref., March 18 (Jiji Press)--The Kanazawa branch of Nagoya High Court on Wednesday overturned a lower court ruling that ordered a halt to the operations of a nuclear power reactor, concluding that there is no concern about the reactor's earthquake resistance.
Presiding judge Nobuaki Watanabe said that the No. 2 reactor at
Hokuriku Electric Power Co.'s <9505> nuclear power plant in the town of
Shika in Ishikawa Prefecture, central Japan, meets criteria under the
government's new inspection guidelines for nuclear reactors' earthquake
resistance.
The rector poses no specific danger of nearby residents being
exposed to radiation even if it is hit by a major earthquake, the judge
said.
The plaintiffs' group, consisted of 128 people, plans to appeal
against the high court ruling.
The new guidelines were mapped out after Kanazawa District Court in
March 2006 ordered the No. 2 reactor's operations to be halted, pointing to
a flaw in the government's previous inspection guidelines and a possibility
of radiation leak from the reactor in the event of a large earthquake.
The 2006 ruling was the first in Japan that ordered a halt to the
operations of a working nuclear reactor.
Judge Watanabe said that the new guidelines reflect scientific
knowledge and technological advancement and are appropriate, thus rejecting
the plaintiffs' claim that they are unreliable.
He also pointed out that Hokuriku Electric Power lifted its maximum
assumed magnitude of an earthquake that may hit the nuclear power station to
6.8 from 6.5 on the Richter scale, saying that the move was right. The
plaintiffs argued that a maximum magnitude of around 7.3 should be assumed.
The high court ruling is expected to give backing to the
government's policy of promoting nuclear power generation and may affect
similar ongoing lawsuits brought against other Japanese power suppliers.
At a press conference in Tokyo, Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo
Kawamura said that the government believes the reactor at the Hokuriku
Electric Power plant is fully resistant to earthquakes.
The government hopes to gain public trust by applying strict safety
standards based on scientific knowledge to nuclear power reactors, the top
government spokesman said.
Presiding judge Nobuaki Watanabe said that the No. 2 reactor at
Hokuriku Electric Power Co.'s <9505> nuclear power plant in the town of
Shika in Ishikawa Prefecture, central Japan, meets criteria under the
government's new inspection guidelines for nuclear reactors' earthquake
resistance.
The rector poses no specific danger of nearby residents being
exposed to radiation even if it is hit by a major earthquake, the judge
said.
The plaintiffs' group, consisted of 128 people, plans to appeal
against the high court ruling.
The new guidelines were mapped out after Kanazawa District Court in
March 2006 ordered the No. 2 reactor's operations to be halted, pointing to
a flaw in the government's previous inspection guidelines and a possibility
of radiation leak from the reactor in the event of a large earthquake.
The 2006 ruling was the first in Japan that ordered a halt to the
operations of a working nuclear reactor.
Judge Watanabe said that the new guidelines reflect scientific
knowledge and technological advancement and are appropriate, thus rejecting
the plaintiffs' claim that they are unreliable.
He also pointed out that Hokuriku Electric Power lifted its maximum
assumed magnitude of an earthquake that may hit the nuclear power station to
6.8 from 6.5 on the Richter scale, saying that the move was right. The
plaintiffs argued that a maximum magnitude of around 7.3 should be assumed.
The high court ruling is expected to give backing to the
government's policy of promoting nuclear power generation and may affect
similar ongoing lawsuits brought against other Japanese power suppliers.
At a press conference in Tokyo, Chief Cabinet Secretary Takeo
Kawamura said that the government believes the reactor at the Hokuriku
Electric Power plant is fully resistant to earthquakes.
The government hopes to gain public trust by applying strict safety
standards based on scientific knowledge to nuclear power reactors, the top
government spokesman said.
