Residents opposed to nuclear power plants have requested that Units 1 to 4 of the Kansai Electric Power Company's Takahama Nuclear Power Plant and Unit 3 of the Mihama Nuclear Power Plant in Fukui Prefecture not be operated, citing the risk of accidents due to aging. The Fukui District Court will make a decision on March 29th regarding the petition for provisional disposition.
Residents of Fukui Prefecture and other areas who oppose nuclear power plants are worried that in 2022 and 2023, Takahama Nuclear Power Plant Units 1 to 4 and Mihama Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 will not have sufficient seismic resistance against large earthquakes in addition to deterioration over time. Each petitioned Kansai Electric Power for a provisional injunction requesting that the plants not operate, claiming that there was a risk of a serious accident and that the evacuation plan was inadequate.
On the other hand, Kansai Electric Power is requesting that the complaint be dismissed, claiming that ``safety has been ensured by conducting necessary seismic reinforcement work and conducting seismic safety evaluations that take into account deterioration over time.''
According to a lawyer representing the residents, the Fukui District Court has decided to make a decision on this matter on March 29th.
In principle, the operation of nuclear power plants is limited to 40 years after the accident at TEPCO's Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant, but Kansai Electric Power's Takahama Nuclear Power Plant Units 1 and 2 and Mihama Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3 have been approved by the Nuclear Regulation Authority. The Takahama Nuclear Power Plant Units 3 and 4 will be in operation again in 2025, more than 40 years after they began operation.
Regarding Mihama Nuclear Power Plant Unit 3, on March 15th, the Osaka High Court issued a decision rejecting a petition for a provisional injunction that had been requested by other residents not to operate the plant.
It will be interesting to see what kind of judgment the Fukui District Court will make regarding the safety of nuclear power plants.