Court rules 45-year-old nuclear reactor in central Japan can continue operating

A Japanese court has ruled that a 45-year-old nuclear reactor in central Japan can continue to operate, rejecting residents’ demands to suspend its operation because of safety risks, AP reports.

The Osaka District Court ruling came just days before Prime Minister Fumio Kishida’s cabinet is expected to approve a new nuclear energy policy that would accelerate the restart of reactors that have been idle since the 2011 Fukushima accident and extend the life of aging reactors.

The Ministry of Economy and Industry has drawn up a plan to extend every 10 years for reactors after 30 years of operation, and to allow utilities to deduct idle periods when calculating reactor life beyond the current limit of 60 years.

Tuesday’s decision was a first for the safety of reactors operating for more than 40 years.

Nine residents — seven from Fukui Prefecture and one each from neighboring Kyoto and Shiga — filed a lawsuit against Kansai Electric in June 2021 demanding that the Mihama reactor be suspended, citing safety risks at the aging facility.