Japan court: Nuclear plant’s tsunami safeguards inadequate

By MARI YAMAGUCHI
Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — A Japanese court has ordered a utility not to restart a nuclear power plant because of inadequate tsunami safeguards, backing the safety concerns of residents. The government has been pushing for more nuclear reactors to resume generating power after pledging to ban imports of Russian fossil fuels. The court says Hokkaido Electric Power Co. must not operate any of the three reactors at the coastal power plant in northern Japan because the inadequate tsunami protection could endanger people’s lives. The utility says it will appeal the ruling, which it called “regrettable and absolutely unacceptable.” A massive tsunami hit another nuclear power plant in Fukushima in northeastern Japan in 2011, causing three reactors to melt and release large amounts of radiation.