Court allows restart of nuke reactor

TOKYO: A Japanese high court yesterday accepted an appeal by Shikoku Electric Power Co to restart a nuclear reactor in western Japan, saying worries over a volcanic eruption damaging the plant are “groundless”.

The decision by the Hiroshima High Court is an about-face from its earlier provisional injunction that demanded the power company halt the No.3 unit at the Ikata power plant in Ehime Prefecture until the end of this month due to safety risks associated with potential volcanic activity.

The temporary suspension order, issued in December last year following a request from a local opposition group, marked the first case in which a Japanese high court prohibited operations at a nuclear plant since the 2011 meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi complex.

Presiding Judge Masayuki Miki said in the ruling, “The possibility of a destructive volcanic eruption during the plant’s operating period is not backed by grounds and there is a small chance of volcanic ash and rocks reaching the plant,” which is about 130 kilometres away.

Following the court’s decision, Shikoku Electric said it will reboot the No.3 reactor on Oct 27. The unit has been idle for maintenance since October last year.

The Nuclear Regulation Authority, the country’s nuclear watchdog, said, “Drawing on the lessons learned from the nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, we will continue to impose strict regulations based on scientific and technical knowledge”.

Separately, residents in nearby Oita, Kagawa and Yamaguchi prefectures have also been seeking to stop the reactor in pending court cases. The Oita District Court is scheduled to hand down a decision on Friday.

In addition, a request to extend the period of the injunction beyond Sunday has been filed with the Hiroshima District Court.

In the injunction, the high court had said the power company underestimated the risks of heated rocks and volcanic ash reaching the plant if a big eruption occurs at the caldera of Mount Aso in Kumamoto Prefecture.

The court decision was a major victory for Japan’s antinuclear movement and dealt a blow to the central government and utilities which hope to bring more reactors back online.

Shikoku Electric claimed in the appeal that it believes there is a “low possibility” of the volcano experiencing a large-scale eruption while the reactor is in operation.

The company had also said there is no safety concern linked to the reactor. Plaintiffs, however, argued resumption of operations is “unreasonable” because “high risk of an accident”.