Takahama Nuclear Power Plant Units 3 and 4 Injunction Ruling
-This is a pre-ruling background briefing-
For immediate release: 14 April 2015 13:00 (Kyoto City/Fukui City)
For further information contact: Aileen Mioko Smith, Executive Director, Green Action
+81-90-3620-9251
(on site at the Fukui District Court, Fukui City, Fukui Prefecture)
A 3-judge panel headed by ruling judge Hideaki Higuchi will be handing down a decision at 14:00 today at the Fukui District Court regarding the operation of the Takahama Nuclear Power Plant Units 3 and 4.
IWJ (Independent Web Journal) will be U-streaming the event from14:00 (Fukui Channel 1)
http://adieunpp.com/karisasitome.html
The Wakasa Bay region where Takahama Units 3 and 4 are located:
On 23 May 2011, the National Diet’s Upper House committee with oversight on government administration summoned 4 expert witnesses. Amongst them was Dr. Katsuhiko Ishibashi , seismologist and emeritus professor of Kobe University. When asked which nuclear power plant(s) held the highest risk next to the Hamaoka nuclear power plant (located in Shizuoka Prefecture), Dr. Ishibashi’s replied, “The entire Wakasa Bay area.”
There are 15 nuclear power reactors located along Wakasa Bay. Takahama Units 3 and 4, owned and operated by Kansai Electric, have received initial permission to restart by the Nuclear Regulation Authority (NRA) in a three-step process, and lead the restart in the Wakasa Bay area. Kansai Electric owns 11 of these reactors. Dr. Ishibashi stated, “Although such earthquakes as the Kambun Earthquake (1662) and Fukui Earthquake (1948) have occurred, this area has been a silent region. It is unmistakably an extremely dangerous area.”
Quote from ruling judge Hideaki Higuchi:
“When you alter an elevator from 12 -person occupancy to16-person occupancy, can safety be secured without radical reconstruction?
Main issues of the injunction lawsuit:
At the first court hearing of the case, Judge Higuchi (the court) requested both defendant and plaintiffs to provide clarification/proof on the following points. It is expected that the verdict will be along the lines of judging these submissions.
Clarification/Proof Requested by the Court:
- What seismic motion resistance construction was undertaken in order to address the basic earthquake ground motion being raised from 370 gal to 550 gal (this was the increase in requirement for Takahama Units 3 and 4, identical for Ohi Units 3 and 4.)
- What seismic motion resistance construction was undertaken, is scheduled to be undertaken, and the progress of this construction, in order to address the basic earthquake ground motion being raised from 550 gal to 700 gal (this is the increase in requirement for Takahama Units 3 and 4, identical for Ohi Units 3 and 4.)
- Does the cliff edge shift when raising the basic earthquake ground motion from 550 gal to 700 gal (this is the increase in requirement for Takahama Units 3 and 4, identical for Ohi Units 3 and 4.)
- What is the seismic resistance class level for the measurement equipment of the reactor vessel.
- What are the capability functions of the Seismic Isolation Building and when will the facility be put in place.
Plaintiff and defendant responses to the above issues (in Japanese)
Plaintiff:
http://adieunpp.com/karisasitome/150227junnbi6.pdf
Defendant: (Kansai Electric)
http://adieunpp.com/karisasitome/150309kandsinnkou.pdf
Other issues concerning the Takahama Units 3 and 4 reactors:
On 31 August 2014, Fukui Prefecture undertook an emergency response exercise simulating an accident occurring at the Takahama nuclear power plant. Citizens later asked Kansai Electric about the type of simulation provided for this exercise. Kansai Electric responded in September and again in November 2014 that the scenario provided responded to Fukui Prefecture request of providing a scenario for a level of accident that Fukui Prefecture could cope with because the prefecture would not be able to deal with implementation of an emergency response exercise for an accident that was too serious.
25 December 2014, Union of Kansai Governments, “Proposal Concerning Nuclear Emergency Response Measures” submitted to the Japanese government.
http://www.greenaction-japan.org/internal/141225_Kansai_Union_Proposal_on_nuclear_emergency_response_measures_E_Translation.pdf
Download: Takahama Nuclear Power Plant Units 3 and 4 Injunction Ruling -This is a pre-ruling background briefing- (PDF)