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Kyoto Court Rejects Lawsuit Seeking to Halt Oi Nuclear Plant Operations
The Kyoto District Court on Tuesday rejected a petition by more than 3,400 plaintiffs to suspend two reactors at Kansai Electric Power’s Oi plant. The ruling followed arguments over foundation stability and evacuation planning.
Jul 14, 4:24 AM·1m read1 source
The Japan TimesAudio version
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The Kyoto District Court rejected a lawsuit on Tuesday seeking to suspend operations at the No. 3 and No. 4 reactors at Kansai Electric Power’s Oi nuclear plant in Fukui Prefecture. Presiding Judge Akira Saito ruled against the petition filed by some 3,400 people, including residents of neighboring Kyoto Prefecture.
The plaintiffs had demanded that Kansai Electric and the central government halt the plant. The plaintiffs argued that risks related to the stability of the Oi plant’s foundations were underestimated and that emergency plans did not account for traffic conditions that could hinder evacuation. “There are fatal flaws in safety measures and evacuation plans,” they said.
Kansai Electric responded that the safety of the Oi plant has been sufficiently ensured through various measures and that there is no specific risk of radioactive materials being released abnormally. The company also said that the central and local governments are developing disaster management plans to protect residents’ lives and property in accordance with their respective responsibilities.
About 1,100 people initially filed the lawsuit in November 2012 after the March 2011 meltdown at Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings’ Fukushima No.
The number of plaintiffs later grew to more than 3,400 across 42 prefectures, The Japan Times reported.
