An Oita District Court judge rejected efforts to halt the Ikata Nuclear Power Plant on Thursday, turning down a plaintiffs’ group that was seeking an injunction that cited safety concerns.
“The court does not recognize that there are concrete dangers related to insufficient safety at the plant, or an infringement on the lives of the residents,” presiding Judge Maiko Takechi said in her decision.
The ruling means Shikoku Electric’s Ikata No. 3 reactor in Ehime Prefecture, located less than 50 kilometers from Oita Prefecture, will continue to operate. It is one of a dozen nuclear power plants currently in operation across the country, and the only one in Shikoku.