(From AFP)
A Japanese court has ordered the closure of two nuclear reactors previously declared safe under strict post-Fukushima safety rules.
The order, made just days before the fifth anniversary of the atomic disaster, would bring the number of operating reactors in Japan down to two. Dozens were shut in the wake of Fukushima, the worst nuclear accident in a generation.
The ruling by the Otsu district court – the first to force the shutdown of reactors switched on under stricter safety rules adopted after the 2011 disaster – is a blow to plans by Prime Minister Shinzo Abe to bring back nuclear power.
The reactors to be closed are Kansai Electric’s No 3 and No 4 reactors at the Takahama nuclear plant, about 215 miles (350km) west of Tokyo.
The No 4 reactor was taken offline last month due to an unexpected technical glitch days after it restarted, while the No 3 reactor is currently operating. Read More