Tokyo Electric Power Co, operator of the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, on Tuesday recommenced clean-up work after a two-week break due to two fatal accidents at the Daiichi and Daini plants.
All work was halted following the accidents, in order for safety regulation checks to be conducted.
However, TEPCO said it expects delays to continue for up to a month on a project to build an ice wall intended to contain the leaking of contaminated water from reactors at the Daiichi plant, TV Asahi reported.
TEPCO has been fighting a daily battle against contaminated water since Fukushima was wrecked by an earthquake and tsunami in March 2011 and three reactors underwent meltdowns.
Water flushed over the wrecked reactors to keep them cool enough to prevent further radioactive releases is leaking into basements after contact with the melted uranium fuel.
The water mixes with groundwater that seeps into the basements, requiring more pumping, treatment and storage.
Missteps and leaks have dogged the efforts to contain the water, slowing down the overall decommissioning process, which is expected to take decades.
© Japan Today/Thomson Reuters
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Disillusioned
So, who is running this circus? The monkeys or the clowns?
100 CPM
"The water mixes with groundwater that seeps into the basements, requiring more pumping, treatment and storage." http://netc.com/
harvey pekar
Is this the work run by the local mafia where they pick up homeless to do the job or even worse than the mafia, is it run by TEPCO themselves?!
http://uk.reuters.com/article/2013/12/30/fukushima-workers-special-report-pix-grf-idUKL3N0K51ZU20131230
SenseNotSoCommon
Feathered nests for a couple of generations, then.
gkamburoff
Want a real case of dread? Look up the few sites reporting on the issues there, such as Fukushima Diary.
Fadamor
While I'm not happy with the way things have gone so far, I note that none of the TEPCO critics here on JT have come up with a better plan than TEPCO's. It just goes to show how easy it is to criticize the actions of others trying to solve a problem and how hard it is to actually contribute to the solution.
wowyz
"I note that none of the TEPCO critics here on JT have come up with a better plan than TEPCO's.:
Very knowledgeable critics are complaining Japan is refusing expert's, specialist's and nuclear agencies outside help:
http://www.scmp.com/comment/insight-opinion/article/1364791/japan-may-yet-need-outside-help-deal-fukushima-disaster
http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2013/08/30/national/japan-under-increasing-pressure-to-accept-outside-nuclear-help/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G9Wy2ACdkrQ
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E_ofRNQ2gX0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J-g8wSucvpA
http://enenews.com/category/japan
Utrack
Stop Cleaning and Entomb the Fukushima Dai ichi NPP already... Has not this environmental hazard of leaks and spills gone on long enough.. Creating a hostile environment for human life has been accomplished.
kurisupisu
The fact is that the so called 'clean up' is anything but! There are tons and tons of radioactive fuel meters under the ground which is liquid,solid or moving? Nobody knows but it is obvious that the problem of radioactive pollution will continue for many years....
Heda_Madness
Oh yes, so many knowledgeable experts. Just none of them can be found on any of the youtube videos or on enenews.