Japan nuclear ruling to show whether legal fight emboldened

[WorldNews]

By Kentaro Hamada and Aaron Sheldrick KAGOSHIMA, Japan (Reuters) - A Japanese court will rule on Wednesday on an injunction to block the restart of two more nuclear reactors, a decision that could determine whether a legal drive by citizens to prevent the reopening of the sector on safety grounds will gather steam. A three-judge panel is to rule on the injunction request on the Sendai reactors at 2100 EDT. A court order preventing Kyushu Electric Power Co from operating Sendai would risk tying up the industry in legal battles for months or years. Last week's ruling "certainly sets a precedent and it will cause some of the other governors and other courts to think twice" about nuclear, said Michael Jones, Senior Analyst at consultancy Wood Mackenzie, Local residents who submitted a suit against the restart of the restart of the Sendai reactors argue the utility and regulator has underestimated the risk of nearby volcanoes and operational plans lack credible evacuation measures.

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