Court Blocks Restart Of Nuclear Plant In Hokkaido
A Japanese court says the offline Tomari Nuclear Power Plant in Hokkaido cannot be brought back into operation. The judge points to poor tsunami safety standards in what is the first ruling of its kind.
More than 1,200 people have filed lawsuits against operator Hokkaido Electric Power Company since 2011. They demanded all three reactors be banned from operating and decommissioned.
In Tuesday's ruling, the presiding judge said tsunami of at least 12 meters are predicted to hit the plant in a major earthquake. And he said the operator failed to prove the facility would not suffer problems such as liquefaction.
Saito Takeichi, the plaintiffs' representative, said, "As a local, I'm overjoyed. The refusal to allow operations means the plant will not restart until even later. This is the first step toward realizing our goal: No nuclear plants in Hokkaido."
All of Japan's nuclear reactors were halted following the March 2011 disaster in Fukushima.
Operators who want to restart theirs must meet stricter regulations. Hokkaido Electric says it plans to appeal the ruling.