Court orders Takahama N-reactors’ suspension

The Otsu District Court issued a provisional injunction on Wednesday ordering Kansai Electric Power Co. to suspend the operations of the No. 3 and No. 4 reactors at its Takahama nuclear power plant in Fukui Prefecture.

The injunction took effect immediately. The No. 3 reactor was reactivated on Jan. 29 and shifted to commercial operations on Feb. 26 after clearing the nation’s toughened safety standards.
The injunction is the first to be issued for an operating nuclear reactor in Japan.

The plaintiffs claimed that Kansai Electric’s assumptions about the scale of earthquakes and tsunami that could hit the Takahama plant, located on the Sea of Japan coast, are insufficient to ensure the safety of the plant.

http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0002800291

Court Orders Japan Reactor to Shut Down, Keeps 2nd Offline

Judge Yoshihiko Yamamoto said the operator has not fully explained exactly how it has upgraded safety features at the two Takahama reactors under the post-Fukushima safety standards. The utility has not fully explained its design philosophy, its measures to mitigate power loss or how to carry out evacuation plans in case of a severe accident and a massive tsunami, he said in the ruling.

The decision also shakes the credibility of the stricter safety requirements installed following the Fukushima disaster. Wednesday's ruling supported concerns by residents and experts that the stricter standards still do not require utilities to have adequate evacuation plans before applying to restart reactors.

http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/court-orders-japanese-reactor-shut-2nd-offline-37510600