Court orders new reactor's halt

KANAZAWA, Ishikawa Pref. -- The Kanazawa District Court ordered Hokuriku Electric Power Co. to shut down the No. 2 reactor at its Shika power plant Friday in Ishikawa Prefecture, recognizing a citizen group's claim that it would be vulnerable, as it sits near a fault line, if a major quake hit.

Hokuriku Electric Power began full operation of the upgraded 1,358-megawatt boiling-water reactor on March 15. It is the nation's 55th commercial reactor and second-largest in terms of output.

Plaintiffs celebrate their win at the Kanazawa District Court, which ordered Hokuriku Electric Power Co. to shut down its No.2 reactor at the Shika nuclear power plant in Ishikawa Prefecture.

The 135 plaintiffs, from 17 prefectures, filed the lawsuit in August 1999, initially demanding the reactor not be built. The plaintiffs had said the reactor was too weak, noting it was built using 20-year-old antiquake-design guidelines from the government.

They said residents were at serious risk of being exposed to a major accident because the reactor is near the Ochigata fault line, which the government's Earthquake Research Committee has said could have a major temblor of magnitude 7.6.

Their suit also said the advanced boiling-water reactor is more dangerous than conventional boiling-water reactors as the advanced model was created for cost efficiency and the power supply in the Hokuriku region currently exceeds demand.

Presiding Judge Kenichi Ido said the utility "has not taken into consideration an earthquake that may occur at the Ochigata fault belt."

"There is a possibility that the plaintiffs may be exposed to radiation in an accident at the plant caused by an earthquake that is beyond the defendant's expectation," Ido said.

The court also said the shutdown will not affect the utility's overall electric power supply in the short term.

"Residents' rights will be violated if radioactive material above tolerable levels is released" into the atmosphere, he said, adding "A suspension order on the reactor will by no means cause major problems to Hokuriku Electric's power supply in the short term."

When the ruling was handed down, the courtroom filled with applause. "Our voices have reached the judge," said Tetsuya Tanaka, one of the plaintiffs, immediately afterward.

Hokuriku Electric had argued that it took all necessary precautions to ensure the reactor is safe and claimed its operation was necessary to secure a stable power supply.

The plaintiffs are mostly residents of Ishikawa and Toyama prefectures. But people from Fukushima, Tokyo, Kanagawa, Niigata, Gifu, Shizuoka, Aichi, Shiga, Osaka, Hyogo, Nara, Wakayama, Okayama, Hiroshima and Kumamoto prefectures also took part in the suit.

The utility began construction of the reactor on Aug. 27, 1999. On Aug. 31 that year, the 135 citizens filed the lawsuit with the Kanazawa District Court demanding a halt in construction of the reactor.

Hokuriku Electric began trial operations of the reactor last April 26, and the group changed their lawsuit last May 13 to demand the utility stop its operation.

The utility said it will appeal the ruling to the high court.

At a news later in the day in Kanazawa, Kenichi Doshita, leader of the plaintiffs, renewed their resolve to continue their fight while welcoming the court ruling.

Lawyer Masaaki Iwabuchi said the reactor halt order has great significance in a nation that experiences frequent earthquakes.

"This ruling has set a significant precedent for future lawsuits involving nuclear reactors," Iwabuchi said.

Meanwhile, officials at Hokuriku Electric Power expressed dissatisfaction at a separate news conference in Kanazawa.

Spokesman Masato Kontani said it was extremely regrettable the Kanazawa District Court did not recognize the utility's argument, adding the utility will soon file an appeal.

Regarding the quake-resistance capability of the No. 2 reactor, Hokuriku Electric officials said the company had made its utmost efforts to ensure the safety, repeating its claim in the past court sessions.

"Operations will continue," another official said at the news conference.