Latest Fukushima find could be a big breakthrough in cleanup
Japan’s Tepco has found possible nuclear fuel debris below the damaged No2 reactor, one of three that had meltdowns after the devastating tsunami in 2011
Tokyo — Tokyo Electric Power (Tepco), the operator of Japan’s wrecked Fukushima nuclear plant, has found possible nuclear fuel debris below the damaged No2 reactor, one of three that had meltdowns in the 2011 disaster, public broadcaster NHK reported on Monday. Should the finding be confirmed, it would mark a significant breakthrough in attempts to clean up the nuclear plant, after years of delays, missteps and leaks of radioactive water. Finding the highly radioactive melted uranium rods may pave the way for Tepco to develop methods to remove the melted fuel. Tepco detected a black lump of material directly below the reactor in an inspection by camera on Monday morning but cannot yet confirm what it is, a spokesman told Reuters. The utility said it would announce its assessment of the material at a news conference at 9.30am GMT on Monday, but later said it was still unclear whether the material was melted nuclear fuel. In the world’s worst nuclear calamity since Chernobyl in 1986, ...
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