Japan court declines petition to close down Ohi nuclear reactors

A Japanese court has rejected a petition, to close down the two operating nuclear reactors at Kansai Electric Power’s Ohi plant in western Japan.

Anti-nuclear advocates had filed a petition to shut down reactors at the plant, as the parts of the station sit above an active faultline, which is against Japanese law on nuclear siting.

Kansai Electric spokesman Akihiro Aoike was quoted by Reuters as saying that the injunction on Ohi was rejected by the court on Tuesday.

All of the Japan’s nuclear reactors were shut down till May 2012, due to the worst nuclear accident at Fukushima and left the country without atomic power for the first time since 1970.

The power companies have purchased gas, oil and coal to make up for atomic power, which accounted for 30% of the country’s electricity supply before the disaster.

Japan is still investigating the suspected fault at the Fukushima station, with the help of new regulator.