Fukushima News...

Fukushima News
http://www.hiroshimasyndrome.com/fukushima-accident-updates.html


The Fukui court order has been widely criticized as being irrational and non-scientific. It has become clear to the Japanese Press that presiding Judge Higuchi has rammed his personal “zero risk” agenda through the Fukui court. Former Tokyo high court judge and current Chou Law School Professor Jun Masuda says, “It seems the judge has already had the idea of demanding absolute safety from the beginning. Judges are not experts on nuclear power plants, so it is imperative that they humbly pay attention to scientific knowledge. I doubt the presiding judge took that into consideration.” Japan News (Yomiuri Shimbun) adds that during the case’s examination period, the panel of judges was twice asked by Kansai Electric Company to solicit the written opinions of experts. Both times, the request was rejected. Clearly, Higuchi and his judicial cronies have no interest in educating themselves concerning nuclear safety. Japan News concludes, “We have no choice but to call it an irrational decision,” and, “Such a stance seeking zero risk is unrealistic.” The News also points out that the Takahama injunction flies in the face of Japan’s 1992 Supreme Court decision that the question of nuclear safety is too scientific, technical and comprehensive to be decided by anyone other than actual experts. Even the decidedly antinuclear Mainichi Shimbun said, “It would be too excessive if the restart of any nuclear plant were disapproved to pursue zero risk.” In addition, many Press outlets say the lack of credibility displayed by the Fukui court could undermine public trust in the judicial system across Japan. Adding to the cacophony of criticism, the Nuclear Regulatory Authority Chairman, Shunichi Tanaka, took exception to Higuchi’s unfounded attack on the agency’s safety standards, saying the court injunction “contained a number of factual errors,” and "I take the injunction as an indication that our work has not been fully understood." http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0002082892 -- http://the-japan-news.com/news/article/0002083023 -- http://mainichi.jp/english/english/perspectives/news/20150415p2a00m0na003000c.html -- http://jen.jiji.com/jc/eng?g=eco&k=2015041500718 (Comment – this writer cannot believe that Judge Higuchi seriously believes the injunction will stop restarts. In my honest, unexpurgated opinion, this is merely a delay tactic by an antinuclear-friendly judge. I believe Higuchi has done his historical antinuclear homework and found that similar judicial tactics have been successful in delaying nuclear power plant operations since Three Mile Island in 1979. The injunction is not an example of ignorance or stupidity. It is a cold, calculated move that will reverberate throughout Japan. Using the Fukui decision as a model, we can expect similar judicial maneuvers with many, if not most, future attempts to restart nukes)