Japan Today
national

TEPCO further delays removal of melted fuel debris from Fukushima nuclear plant

21 Comments
By MARI YAMAGUCHI

The requested article has expired, and is no longer available. Any related articles, and user comments are shown below.

© Copyright 2024 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without permission.

©2025 GPlusMedia Inc.

21 Comments
Login to comment

What can function within such an extreme environment inside a highly radioactive environment?

The debris inc removed is then placed where?

Japan doesn’t have the necessary repositories for highly radioactive substances at present.

In the meantime the curium has to be cooled to prevent criticalities creating chronic pollution

-5 ( +6 / -11 )

I'd rather that they take their time and do it right.

9 ( +13 / -4 )

Hopefully Japan inc. will learn that though they've profited from nukes the costs to the citizens paying for nuke power are too high. Instead of relying on large scale nuclear plants and fossil fuel burning facilities run by a centralized power consortium to generate electricity, Japan Inc can still make profits by assisting individual building owners in making their properties more energy efficient. And by assisting builders in constructing energy efficient buildings. For dog's sake, it's 2024, long passed time to move on to a cleaner less centralized energy future. Though I'm well aware the notion of 'progress' scares fossils.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Initially committed to start removing the melted fuel from inside one of the three damaged reactors within 10 years of the disaster.

The debris cleanup initially was supposed to be started by 2021, but it has been plagued with delays, underscoring the difficulty 

From one delay to another delay, some mistakes happen during the way.

https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2023/12/15/japan/fukushima-worker-radiation-detected/

https://apnews.com/article/japan-fukushima-nuclear-radiation-workers-1e95da48aacc04cc0526a4d964586fff

While Japan says the water is way safer than international releasable standards, the discharges have been strongly opposed by fishing groups and neighboring countries including China and South Korea.

Not only abroad that opposing those tainted water, local fisherman also opposing. Lucky for people from abroad J Govt can force other country to import seafood from Japan.

https://english.kyodonews.net/news/2023/08/1e36344b3188-japan-fishermen-remain-opposed-as-fukushima-water-discharge-begins.html

-5 ( +4 / -9 )

As a shareholder and songwriter this is unacceptable. The por people of Fukushima need closure. The waste should be disposed of. It has already been a decade. I have lost faith in TEPCO and Japanese government.

-6 ( +3 / -9 )

Marc LoweToday  09:34 am JST

As a shareholder and songwriter this is unacceptable

Nuclear accidents are hard. Chernobyl was 1986 and still not cleaned up.

But, knowing you’re a songwriter helps.

5 ( +7 / -2 )

Critics say the 30- to 40-year cleanup target set by the government and TEPCO for Fukushima Daiichi is overly optimistic.

At the real rate of clean-up, there might be nobody around left to do it. In any case, this is yet another capitalist screw-up that future generations will pay for. Tough luck those around at the end of this massive Ponzi scheme.

-2 ( +4 / -6 )

The nuclear disaster cleanup will take more than 50 years and will cost more than ¥100 trillion before the government decides what and where to do with the waste.

At the moment it's not a sure deal it can even be achieved.

I don't think writing songs will achieve it but might encourage the workers.

9 ( +10 / -1 )

They are still cleaning up at Sellafield/ Calder Hall in the UK, which was shut down naturally, not by explosion or tsunami. Estimates now are 70 years to fully decommission, though it keeps getting extended, and the budget rises every year, as new obstacles are discovered, and they have still got to manage the 'Dirty 30 pond' where fuel rods and other radioactive debris were just thrown into the water, with little documentation. Beyond that there are B38, B29 and B41 silos used to stored cladding from fuel rods, as well as waste from the UK weapons programmes. Workers can only spend 30 minutes nearby there each day, and robots fail within hours due to radiation. These plants in Japan will have to be managed 70-100 years or more into the future, with the new government extensions to their lives. That's the legacy to the future generations.

4 ( +5 / -1 )

VillanovaToday 06:19 am JST

I'd rather that they take their time and do it right.

Yes, I agree entirely.

wallaceToday 12:21 pm JST

before the government decides what and where to do with the waste.

Yes, the issue of waste needs to be decided without doubt.

Work at Rokkasho in Aomori has stalled many times, and who knows when it will finally be completed. I'm not sure if that's where they're planning to put the Fukushima waste, but they already host waste there so I guess it would be a natural choice.

https://thebulletin.org/2023/12/rokkasho-redux-japans-never-ending-reprocessing-saga/

I did a quick search and it seems they're also currently investigating other sites for geological disposal. Not sure how well advanced this work is, or where the sites are, but in any case it looks like it hasn't been decided:

https://www.numo.or.jp/en/faq/main1.html

2 ( +3 / -1 )

There will be millions of tons of nuclear waste from Fukushima and the 20+ reactors being decommissioned. Needs to go underground.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Cheap clean. Hook it up to a big piece a driftwood. Watch for a bit, it floats away..

-5 ( +1 / -6 )

Does anyone remember three mile island.

"Cleanup at TMI-2 started in August 1979 and officially ended in December 1993,"

So yes cleaning up takes time. Why is everyone pointing to Fukushima but not thinking it may take time.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

wallaceToday 01:25 pm JST

There will be millions of tons of nuclear waste from Fukushima and the 20+ reactors being decommissioned. Needs to go underground.

I don't think there will be millions of tons, but would agree it has to go underground. It seems Sweden and Finland are the models for this, from what I've just learned reading about the subject. Here's Sweden's operations:

https://skb.com/our-operations/sfr/

https://www.government.se/articles/2022/01/final-disposal-of-spent-nuclear-fuel/

I've read about Sellafield being involved with the Fukushima work, as they have a lot of experience in this area, but haven't heard about Sweden and Finland. I hope the Japanese authorities are including them in the conversation (and they may already be).

3 ( +4 / -1 )

The problem with an underground site for nuclear waste is the earthquakes.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Let us just call it the "Never-ending-story"!

1 ( +4 / -3 )

There is no guarantee at this stage that TEPCO will be able to recover the corium.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

At the real rate of clean-up, there might be nobody around left to do it. In any case, this is yet another capitalist screw-up that future generations will pay for. Tough luck those around at the end of this massive Ponzi scheme.

Nuclear power is the perfect crime.

Those responsible profit coming and going. - even from the mess they’ve caused.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Tell me again how nuclear power is cheap and safe.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

wallaceToday 03:31 pm JST

The problem with an underground site for nuclear waste is the earthquakes.

Yes, it's part of the site investigation process. They mention it in the link I post above:

https://www.numo.or.jp/en/faq/main1.html

Is the facility safe from the impact of earthquakes?

LindsayToday 04:44 pm JST

Tell me again how nuclear power is cheap and safe.

It's cheap and safe if you do it properly. Unfortunately, the TEPCO execs decided to cost-cut and ignore warnings on potential tsunami sizes, resulting in the current situation.

1 ( +3 / -2 )

LindsayToday 04:44 pm JST

Tell me again how nuclear power is cheap and safe.

It produces almost no carbon. QED

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Login to leave a comment

Facebook users

Use your Facebook account to login or register with JapanToday. By doing so, you will also receive an email inviting you to receive our news alerts.

Facebook Connect

Login with your JapanToday account

User registration

Articles, Offers & Useful Resources

A mix of what's trending on our other sites