A nuclear power plant damaged in the 2011 Japanese tsunami that caused a meltdown at three reactors at Fukushima is slated to come back online after the governor of the Myagi prefecture greenlighted the resumption last week.
A nuclear power plant damaged in the 2011 Japanese tsunami that caused a meltdown at three reactors at Fukushima is slated to come back online after the governor of the Myagi prefecture greenlighted the resumption last week.
The decision comes on the heels of a ruling by a Japanese high court finding that the government and Tepco, the operator of the Fukushima plant, were negligent in their handling of the disaster, and ordered them to pay 1bn yen ($9.5m) in damages to thousands of residents for their lost livelihoods.
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The 3,550 plaintiffs in the case before the Sendai high court, one of eight such courts in Japan, had sought monthly compensation of about 50,000 yen ($470) per person until radiation levels subside to pre-disaster levels, seeking a total of 28bn yen ($265m).
The plaintiffs’ head lawyer, Izutaro Managi, hailed the ruling as a major victory, saying: “We ask the government to extend relief measures as soon as possible, not only for the plaintiffs but for all victims based on the damage they suffered.”
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The 3,550 plaintiffs in the case had fled their homes in 2011 after the radiation disaster. Radiation that spewed from the plant’s melted down reactors contaminated the surrounding areas, forcing about 160,000 residents to evacuate at one point. More than 50,000 are still displaced because of lingering safety concerns. The plant is being decommissioned, a process expected to take decades.
Read more at Tenth reactor to restart in Japan following Fukushima disaster shutdown
