Hokuriku Electric Power Company has won a court appeal to continue operating unit 2 at its Shika nuclear power station in Ishikawa prefecture.
In March 2006, in response to a suit brought by a group of citizens, the Kanazawa District court ordered the utility to stop operating Shika 2, a 1358MWe ABWR. The decision was taken due to concerns about the safety of the reactor in the event of an earthquake.
The Nagoya High Court has now reversed the original ruling made by the Kanazawa District court in March 2006.
This is particularly significant as Japan’s nuclear power industry tries to win back public support after an earthquake in July 2007 caused a fire and radiation leaks at Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant. The government and two other regional utilities are now contesting similar court cases brought by citizens concerned about nuclear safety in Japan.
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