nuclear-news

“Decommissioning” Fukushima nukes to take a very long time

Freezing Fukushima Nuclear Plant Leaks Water TOKYO, Japan, January 30, 2012 (ENS)“…..Decommissioning is expected to take 40 years and require the use of robots and new technologies to remove the melted nuclear fuel, the Japanese government said in December.

TEPCO plans to spend the next two years removing spent fuel rods from the storage pools located next to the damaged reactors.

The government estimated in December’s “Road to Recovery” document
that the costs associated with recovery from the accident approach 23
trillion yen (US$300 billion) over the next 10 years.

In general, the government has decided to reduce its reliance on
nuclear power and increase its reliance on reneweable sources of
energy such as solar and wind.

Meanwhile, the Japanese Ministry of the Environment has started a
study to examine the effects of radiation from the Fukushima Daiichi
power plant on nearby plant and wildlife, particularly their
reproductive functions.

Working with the Japan Wildlife Research Center and the National
Institute of Radiological Sciences, the ministry is selecting local
species of plants and animals based on 12 recommended for study by the
International Commission on Radiological Protection in the event of
nuclear disaster, including a type of mouse, shellfish, and pine tree.

Specimens will be collected from areas with differing radiation levels
both inside and near the no-entry zone around the plant. They will be
checked for radioactive cesium levels, and for abnormalities in their
appearance, DNA, and reproduction and for abnormalities in their
offspring. http://www.ens-newswire.com/ens/jan2012/2012-01-30-01.html

February 1, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | decommission reactor, Japan