Photo/Illutration Plaintiffs hold up signs in front of Nagoya District Court on March 14 that say they lost their case. (Shigetaka Kodama)

NAGOYA—The district court here on March 14 rejected a request by plaintiffs to overturn approval to extend operations at nuclear reactors that have been in operation for more than 40 years.

Residents of Fukui and Aichi prefectures had asked the court to revoke approval given by the Nuclear Regulation Authority for three reactors in Fukui Prefecture—the No. 1 and 2 reactors at the Takahama nuclear plant and the No. 3 reactor at the Mihama nuclear plant.

But the Nagoya District Court ruled on March 14 that there was nothing irrational about the NRA decision or its prior screening of applications for continued operations submitted by Kansai Electric Power Co., operator of the three reactors.

After the 2011 triple meltdown at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, a rule was instituted to limit plant operations to 40 years.

But if the NRA gives approval after screening the application, operations can be extended for another 20 years at such plants.

All three reactors received approval to extend operations for 20 years in 2016.

Lawsuits were subsequently submitted by residents who argued that such aged plants were dangerous.

The plaintiffs argued that the screening standards used by the NRA did not properly evaluate the effects that might arise from the age of the plants.

They contend that safety standards underestimated the deterioration of plant facilities being bombarded with radiation for decades and said the reactors would be damaged if cooling water was suddenly injected in the event of a nuclear accident to cool the nuclear fuel.

But after about eight years since the first lawsuit was filed, the district court rejected those arguments.

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