TOKYO - A court Friday refused to suspend the operations of a nuclear power plant, ruling against a group of citizens who said the facility would pose a danger if a major earthquake strikes, officials said.
The Shizuoka District Court found that four reactors at Hamaoka Nuclear Power Station could remain in operation because their earthquake resistance and other safeguards are sufficient, court spokesman Masahiko Handa said. He refused to elaborate.
The 27 plaintiffs, residents of the plant's home of Shizuoka and four nearby prefectures in central Japan, filed the lawsuit in 2003, demanding that Chubu Electric Power Co. suspend Hamaoka's No. 1-4 reactors.
Some 1,800 people from across the country also filed for a temporary injunction against the plant's operations.
Experts have said a major quake is due in Shizuoka, about 95 miles west of Tokyo and one of Japan's most earthquake prone regions.
Front Section, Pages 8 on 10/27/2007