Japan court revokes state approval for Ohi nuclear reactors
- The court ruled in favour of about 130 plaintiffs who claimed that the Ohi No. 3 and No. 4 reactors are vulnerable to major earthquakes, according to Kyodo.
TOKYO: The Osaka district court on Friday revoked the operating permit for two reactors at Kansai Electric Power Co's Ohi nuclear power plant in Fukui prefecture, western Japan, the utility said.
The permits had been granted by the country's nuclear regulator and this is the first time a Japanese court has challenged safety assessments by the regulator under tougher safety standards imposed after the 2011 Fukushima disaster, according to Kyodo news agency.
The court ruled in favour of about 130 plaintiffs who claimed that the Ohi No. 3 and No. 4 reactors are vulnerable to major earthquakes, according to Kyodo.
The court said the Nuclear Regulation Authority's decision had not taken into account necessary considerations in assuming the magnitude of earthquakes, Kyodo said.
"The court ruling is regrettable and unacceptable," Kansai Electric Power said in a statement.
"We will study details of the court decision and take appropriate actions after swiftly coordinating with the government," it added.
The two reactors have been shut for scheduled maintenance since earlier this year.
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