Court rejects residents’ call to halt western Japan nuclear reactor

A Japanese high court on Friday rejected local residents’ call to halt the operation of an idled nuclear reactor in western Japan, upholding a lower court decision.

The ruling by the Hiroshima High Court will allow the operator, Shikoku Electric Power Co., to continue utilizing the No. 3 reactor at the Ikata nuclear power plant in Ehime Prefecture, which has been suspended for a regular inspection through June 19.

The appeal was filed by seven residents of Hiroshima and Ehime prefectures who live between 60 and 130 kilometers from the reactor.

The main focal point of the trial was whether the ...