A woman holds a sign reading "safety is a big lie, stop nuclear energy!" at a nuclear protest. (Photo: Takeshi Garcia/flickr/cc)
Apr 14, 2015
Critics of nuclear energy are cheering a ruling by a Japanese court that blocks the restart of two reactors at a plant in western Japan.
Australia's ABC reports that
Local residents sought the injunction against Kansai Electric Power Company, arguing that restart plans underestimate earthquake risks, fail to meet tougher safety standards and lack credible evacuation measures.
Though the Nuclear Regulation Authority had already given the green light for the restart, the Fukui District Court issued the injunction, stating that the reactors' "compliance with [the new] regulations wouldn't secure the safety of this plant."
The Wall Street Journalreports that the injunction marks "the first against any nuclear plant in Japan."
"This ruling is a giant step for efforts to abolish nuclear power, and, in practice, stops the restart of the reactors," the Japan Times reports lawyers representing the group seeking the injunction as saying.
Environmental organization Greenpeace welcomed the injunction as well, saying the ruling "could have a nationwide ripple effect on similar pending injunction cases--threatening to derail the Japanese government's nuclear reactor plans."
Kyoto-based Aileen Mioko Smith, director of Green Action Japan, said that the "injunction will, hopefully, prevent another nuclear disaster like Fukushima, or worse."
The judicial blow to the nuclear revival comes on the heels of a vow by the industry that 2015 would see the country's reactors restart.
"This year marks the exit from zero nuclear power," Agence France-Pressequotes Takashi Imai, chairman of the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum, as saying at an event on Monday.
"It is self-evident that nuclear power plants that have passed safety tests should be restarted as soon as possible," Imai added.
Join Us: News for people demanding a better world
Common Dreams is powered by optimists who believe in the power of informed and engaged citizens to ignite and enact change to make the world a better place. We're hundreds of thousands strong, but every single supporter makes the difference. Your contribution supports this bold media model—free, independent, and dedicated to reporting the facts every day. Stand with us in the fight for economic equality, social justice, human rights, and a more sustainable future. As a people-powered nonprofit news outlet, we cover the issues the corporate media never will. Join with us today! |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
Critics of nuclear energy are cheering a ruling by a Japanese court that blocks the restart of two reactors at a plant in western Japan.
Australia's ABC reports that
Local residents sought the injunction against Kansai Electric Power Company, arguing that restart plans underestimate earthquake risks, fail to meet tougher safety standards and lack credible evacuation measures.
Though the Nuclear Regulation Authority had already given the green light for the restart, the Fukui District Court issued the injunction, stating that the reactors' "compliance with [the new] regulations wouldn't secure the safety of this plant."
The Wall Street Journalreports that the injunction marks "the first against any nuclear plant in Japan."
"This ruling is a giant step for efforts to abolish nuclear power, and, in practice, stops the restart of the reactors," the Japan Times reports lawyers representing the group seeking the injunction as saying.
Environmental organization Greenpeace welcomed the injunction as well, saying the ruling "could have a nationwide ripple effect on similar pending injunction cases--threatening to derail the Japanese government's nuclear reactor plans."
Kyoto-based Aileen Mioko Smith, director of Green Action Japan, said that the "injunction will, hopefully, prevent another nuclear disaster like Fukushima, or worse."
The judicial blow to the nuclear revival comes on the heels of a vow by the industry that 2015 would see the country's reactors restart.
"This year marks the exit from zero nuclear power," Agence France-Pressequotes Takashi Imai, chairman of the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum, as saying at an event on Monday.
"It is self-evident that nuclear power plants that have passed safety tests should be restarted as soon as possible," Imai added.
Critics of nuclear energy are cheering a ruling by a Japanese court that blocks the restart of two reactors at a plant in western Japan.
Australia's ABC reports that
Local residents sought the injunction against Kansai Electric Power Company, arguing that restart plans underestimate earthquake risks, fail to meet tougher safety standards and lack credible evacuation measures.
Though the Nuclear Regulation Authority had already given the green light for the restart, the Fukui District Court issued the injunction, stating that the reactors' "compliance with [the new] regulations wouldn't secure the safety of this plant."
The Wall Street Journalreports that the injunction marks "the first against any nuclear plant in Japan."
"This ruling is a giant step for efforts to abolish nuclear power, and, in practice, stops the restart of the reactors," the Japan Times reports lawyers representing the group seeking the injunction as saying.
Environmental organization Greenpeace welcomed the injunction as well, saying the ruling "could have a nationwide ripple effect on similar pending injunction cases--threatening to derail the Japanese government's nuclear reactor plans."
Kyoto-based Aileen Mioko Smith, director of Green Action Japan, said that the "injunction will, hopefully, prevent another nuclear disaster like Fukushima, or worse."
The judicial blow to the nuclear revival comes on the heels of a vow by the industry that 2015 would see the country's reactors restart.
"This year marks the exit from zero nuclear power," Agence France-Pressequotes Takashi Imai, chairman of the Japan Atomic Industrial Forum, as saying at an event on Monday.
"It is self-evident that nuclear power plants that have passed safety tests should be restarted as soon as possible," Imai added.
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.