A robotic attempt to get a sample of melted fuel from a damaged Fukushima reactor is suspended

The World

The critical task of recovering highly radioactive fuel debris from Japan’s decommissioned Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant has been put on hold, 13 years after it was badly damaged by a tsunami. The long process of recovery is complicated by the fact that cleaning up requires doing things that have never been done before. Carolyn Beeler gets the latest from Lake Barrett, a retired nuclear engineer and internationally recognized expert on damaged nuclear reactors. He has advised the Japanese government on the cleanup at Fukushima and was director of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Three Mile Island Cleanup Site Office from 1980 to 1984.

Tell us about your experience accessing The World

We want to hear your feedback so we can keep improving our website, theworld.org. Please fill out this quick survey and let us know your thoughts (your answers will be anonymous). Thanks for your time!