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Asahi Shimbun
4 days ago
- Business
- Asahi Shimbun
High court rules TEPCO execs not responsible for nuclear disaster
Hiroyuki Kawai, center, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs, criticizes the ruling in front of the Tokyo High Court in Tokyo's Chiyoda Ward on June 6. (Masaaki Kobayashi) The Tokyo High Court on June 6 rescinded a court order for former executives of Tokyo Electric Power Co. to pay the company about 13 trillion yen ($92.6 billion) over the Fukushima nuclear disaster. In absolving the defendants of responsibility for financial damages caused to the company, the court ruled the giant tsunami that smashed into TEPCO's Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant on March 11, 2011, was 'unforeseeable.' The ruling overturned the Tokyo District Court's decision in 2022 to order the former TEPCO executives to pay compensation for failing to take measures that could have prevented the 'foreseeable' tsunami from causing the triple meltdown at the plant. 'This is unbelievable and unforgivable,' Yui Kimura, secretary-general of the plaintiffs' group, said of the high court's ruling. Hiroyuki Kawai, a lawyer representing the plaintiffs, said: 'This is an extremely unjust and logically contradictory verdict. It allows a recurrence of the nuclear accident, and we will pursue the flaws in this decision at the Supreme Court.' The plaintiffs--42 shareholders of TEPCO—had demanded 23 trillion yen in compensation to the company from five former executives and others over the damage caused by their failure to take tsunami countermeasures. The five defendants were: Tsunehisa Katsumata, a former chairman who died in 2024; Masataka Shimizu, a former president; two former vice presidents, Ichiro Takekuro and Sakae Muto; and a former managing director, Akio Komori. Katsumata's heirs succeeded him in the lawsuit. The major issues in the lawsuit were whether TEPCO management at the time could have foreseen the occurrence of such a giant tsunami and whether they could have prevented the disaster by issuing instructions for tsunami countermeasures. In 2002, the central government released a long-term evaluation of earthquake forecasts that indicated the possibility of a major earthquake followed by a massive tsunami occurring off the coast of Fukushima Prefecture. The Tokyo District Court's ruling in 2022 noted that this long-term assessment was scientifically reliable because it was made by top-level Japanese researchers, among other things. Based on this assessment, the lower court found that TEPCO's management team could have foreseen the 2011 tsunami, and that the accident could have been prevented if the defendants had ordered the construction of a watertight structure to prevent flooding of the reactor buildings and other facilities. The tsunami knocked out power to the plant, leading to three reactors melting down and forcing thousands of residents to evacuate from the area. Based on the decommissioning and decontamination costs incurred and the amount of compensation paid to evacuees, the district court concluded that the former management had caused TEPCO more than 13 trillion yen in damages. At the appeal hearing, the defendants repeated their argument that 'the long-term assessment was unreliable, as it was criticized by seismologists and other experts.'
4 days ago
- Business
Japanese court rejects damage claims against utility executives over Fukushima disaster
TOKYO -- A Japanese court ruled former executives at the utility managing the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant were not accountable for the 2011 meltdown crisis and do not need to pay damages to the company. The Tokyo High Court ruling on Friday reversed a lower court decision in 2022 ordering four former executives of the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings to pay 13 trillion yen ($90 billion) to the company, saying they had failed to take the utmost safety precautions despite knowing the risks of a serious accident in a major tsunami. A magitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 destroyed key cooling systems at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, causing its three reactors to melt down, spreading large amounts of radiation in the area and keeping tens of thousands of residents from returning home due to radioactive contamination and other safety concerns. The Tokyo District Court ruling three years ago was the only ruling that held the former TEPCO liable for the Fukushima disaster. It upheld the plaintiffs' argument that the executives had neglected to heed experts' long-term tsunami predictions and failed to take adequate tsunami precaution measures soon enough. The court said, however, the long-term tsunani prediction was not considered pressing data requiring immediate tsunami measures and it was understandable the executives had no sense of urgency from the data they had at that time, Kyodo News reported. Friday's ruling is a major disappointment for Fukushima residents and anti-nuclear activists seeking the managements' responsibility in nuclear safety. Plaintiffs and their lawyers criticized the ruling as 'unjust' and said they planned to appeal to the Supreme Court. Hiroyuki Kawai, a plaintiffs' lawyer, criticized the ruling as 'logically flawed," saying it means nobody can be held liable for any safety negligence because tsunami and earthquake predictions are still impossible today. A group of more than 40 TEPCO shareholders filed the lawsuit in 2012 demanding five former executives pay the company 22 trillion yen ($153 billion) in damages. The amount of the 2022 ruling against four of the executives was the highest ever ordered in a lawsuit. Japan's top court in March found two former TEPCO executives not guilty of negligence over the Fukushima meltdowns, saying a tsunami of the magnitude that hit the plant was unforeseeable. It was the only criminal trial related to the nuclear accident and the only criminal case related to the nuclear accident.
The Hill
4 days ago
- Business
- The Hill
Japanese court rejects damage claims against utility executives over Fukushima disaster
TOKYO (AP) — A Japanese court ruled former executives at the utility managing the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant were not accountable for the 2011 meltdown crisis and do not need to pay damages to the company. The Tokyo High Court ruling on Friday reversed a lower court decision in 2022 ordering four former executives of the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings to pay 13 trillion yen ($90 billion) to the company, saying they had failed to take the utmost safety precautions despite knowing the risks of a serious accident in a major tsunami. A magitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 destroyed key cooling systems at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, causing its three reactors to melt down, spreading large amounts of radiation in the area and keeping tens of thousands of residents from returning home due to radioactive contamination and other safety concerns. The Tokyo District Court ruling three years ago was the only ruling that held the former TEPCO liable for the Fukushima disaster. It upheld the plaintiffs' argument that the executives had neglected to heed experts' long-term tsunami predictions and failed to take adequate tsunami precaution measures soon enough. The court said, however, the long-term tsunani prediction was not considered pressing data requiring immediate tsunami measures and it was understandable the executives had no sense of urgency from the data they had at that time, Kyodo News reported. Friday's ruling is a major disappointment for Fukushima residents and anti-nuclear activists seeking the managements' responsibility in nuclear safety. Plaintiffs and their lawyers criticized the ruling as 'unjust' and said they planned to appeal to the Supreme Court. Hiroyuki Kawai, a plaintiffs' lawyer, criticized the ruling as 'logically flawed,' saying it means nobody can be held liable for any safety negligence because tsunami and earthquake predictions are still impossible today. A group of more than 40 TEPCO shareholders filed the lawsuit in 2012 demanding five former executives pay the company 22 trillion yen ($153 billion) in damages. The amount of the 2022 ruling against four of the executives was the highest ever ordered in a lawsuit. Japan's top court in March found two former TEPCO executives not guilty of negligence over the Fukushima meltdowns, saying a tsunami of the magnitude that hit the plant was unforeseeable. It was the only criminal trial related to the nuclear accident and the only criminal case related to the nuclear accident.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Business
- Time of India
Japanese court rejects damage claims against utility executives over Fukushima disaster
Japanese court rejects damage claims against utility executives over Fukushima disaster. (Image: AP) TOKYO: A Japanese court ruled former executives at the utility managing the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant were not accountable for the 2011 meltdown crisis and do not need to pay damages to the company. The Tokyo High Court ruling on Friday reversed a lower court decision in 2022 ordering four former executives of the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings to pay 13 trillion yen ($90 billion) to the company, saying they had failed to take the utmost safety precautions despite knowing the risks of a serious accident in a major tsunami. A magnitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 destroyed key cooling systems at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, causing its three reactors to melt down, spreading large amounts of radiation in the area and keeping tens of thousands of residents from returning home due to radioactive contamination and other safety concerns. The Tokyo District Court ruling three years ago was the only ruling that held the former TEPCO liable for the Fukushima disaster. It upheld the plaintiffs' argument that the executives had neglected to heed experts' long-term tsunami predictions and failed to take adequate tsunami precaution measures soon enough. The court said, however, the long-term tsunami prediction was not considered pressing data requiring immediate tsunami measures and it was understandable the executives had no sense of urgency from the data they had at that time, Kyodo News reported. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like This Device Made My Power Bill Drop Overnight elecTrick - Save upto 80% on Power Bill Pre-Order Undo Friday's ruling is a major disappointment for Fukushima residents and anti-nuclear activists seeking the managements' responsibility in nuclear safety. Plaintiffs and their lawyers criticized the ruling as "unjust" and said they planned to appeal to the Supreme Court. Hiroyuki Kawai, a plaintiffs' lawyer, criticized the ruling as "logically flawed," saying it means nobody can be held liable for any safety negligence because tsunami and earthquake predictions are still impossible today. A group of more than 40 TEPCO shareholders filed the lawsuit in 2012 demanding five former executives pay the company 22 trillion yen ($153 billion) in damages. The amount of the 2022 ruling against four of the executives was the highest ever ordered in a lawsuit. Japan's top court in March found two former TEPCO executives not guilty of negligence over the Fukushima meltdowns, saying a tsunami of the magnitude that hit the plant was unforeseeable. It was the only criminal trial related to the nuclear accident and the only criminal case related to the nuclear accident.
San Francisco Chronicle
4 days ago
- Business
- San Francisco Chronicle
Japanese court rejects damage claims against utility executives over Fukushima disaster
TOKYO (AP) — A Japanese court ruled former executives at the utility managing the tsunami-wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant were not accountable for the 2011 meltdown crisis and do not need to pay damages to the company. The Tokyo High Court ruling on Friday reversed a lower court decision in 2022 ordering four former executives of the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings to pay 13 trillion yen ($90 billion) to the company, saying they had failed to take the utmost safety precautions despite knowing the risks of a serious accident in a major tsunami. A magitude 9.0 earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 destroyed key cooling systems at the Fukushima Daiichi plant, causing its three reactors to melt down, spreading large amounts of radiation in the area and keeping tens of thousands of residents from returning home due to radioactive contamination and other safety concerns. The Tokyo District Court ruling three years ago was the only ruling that held the former TEPCO liable for the Fukushima disaster. It upheld the plaintiffs' argument that the executives had neglected to heed experts' long-term tsunami predictions and failed to take adequate tsunami precaution measures soon enough. The court said, however, the long-term tsunani prediction was not considered pressing data requiring immediate tsunami measures and it was understandable the executives had no sense of urgency from the data they had at that time, Kyodo News reported. Friday's ruling is a major disappointment for Fukushima residents and anti-nuclear activists seeking the managements' responsibility in nuclear safety. Plaintiffs and their lawyers criticized the ruling as 'unjust' and said they planned to appeal to the Supreme Court. Hiroyuki Kawai, a plaintiffs' lawyer, criticized the ruling as 'logically flawed," saying it means nobody can be held liable for any safety negligence because tsunami and earthquake predictions are still impossible today. A group of more than 40 TEPCO shareholders filed the lawsuit in 2012 demanding five former executives pay the company 22 trillion yen ($153 billion) in damages. The amount of the 2022 ruling against four of the executives was the highest ever ordered in a lawsuit. Japan's top court in March found two former TEPCO executives not guilty of negligence over the Fukushima meltdowns, saying a tsunami of the magnitude that hit the plant was unforeseeable. It was the only criminal trial related to the nuclear accident and the only criminal case related to the nuclear accident.
