Residents seeking a temporary injunction against the restart of Kansai Electric Power Co.'s No. 3 and No. 4 reactors at its Takahama plant in Fukui Prefecture have decided not to appeal last week's court rejection.
The Osaka High Court on March 26 overturned their injunction issued against the restart of the reactors by a lower court in March 2016, paving the way for them to be switched back on.
In the landmark injunction, the Otsu District Court in Shiga Prefecture cited safety concerns for preventing the reactors from being restarted, even though they were judged to have met new safety regulations set after the March 2011 Fukushima No. 1 reactor meltdowns.
The plaintiffs had until Monday to file an appeal against the high court ruling, but decided not to take it to the Supreme Court, judging that if their case were rejected by the top court, it could adversely impact similar pleas for injunctions pending before other courts around the nation.
Lawyers representing the plaintiffs said, however, that they have not given up their legal fight yet and will continue to seek victory in a separate court case filed by residents against the resumption of operations at the Takahama plant.