Japan Changes Fukushima Cleanup
2020-01-08
LRC
TXT
大字
小字
滚动
全页
1Japan has changed its plan for cleaning up the Fukushima nuclear plant.
2The change further delays the removal of used nuclear fuel that has remained in cooling pools since the 2011 disaster.
3The removal process is difficult because of high radiation levels and other risks.
4But the government and the plant's owner, Tokyo Electric Power or TEPCO, are aiming to complete the task within 30 to 40 years.
5After the earthquake and tsunami, more than 4,700 fuel rod units remain at the three melted reactors and two surviving reactors.
6The fuel rods present a high risk because their storage pools are uncovered.
7If another major disaster were to cause a loss of water, the fuel rods could melt, releasing radiation.
8Their removal was first planned in 2018.
9But it has now been postponed for up to 10 years in order to reduce radiation and to clear other waste.
10TEPCO has been unable to release 1.2 million tons of water kept in nearly 1,000 tanks at the Fukushima center.
11It is feared that the release of radioactive water will harm fishing and agriculture in the area.
12The plant can only store up to 1.37 million tons of water.
13And the amount of water is growing by 170 tons every day because it is used to cool the melted fuel inside the reactors.
14At this rate, TEPCO says the plant will run out of storage space by the summer of 2022.
15Japan's government recently wrote a proposal to release the water after treatment.
16The water is still somewhat radioactive, but TEPCO says further treatment can remove all but radioactive tritium to levels acceptable for release.
17Experts say tritium is not harmful to humans in small amounts and has been regularly released from nuclear plants around the world.
18The biggest difficulty for Japan is the removal of an estimated 880 tons of melted fuel from Fukushima's three severely damaged reactors.
19The amount is six times larger than what was found after the 1979 Three Mile Island partial meltdown in the United States.
20A robotic arm was developed for the task. The removal will begin with just a spoonful at first.
21The fuel will then be carefully measured and studied under International Atomic Energy Agency instructions.
22Japan hopes to slowly expand the process of removal with new methods and robotic development.
23However, the country has yet to develop a plan to dispose of the highly radioactive melted fuel and other waste from the reactors.
24TEPCO and the government say they plan to build a storage area for radioactive waste from Fukushima.
25But finding a place and getting public support will be difficult.
26The Japanese government estimates that the cost of the clean-up for Fukushima is about $73 billion.
27That number could grow to $200 billion with storage facilities and added compensation and clean-up of the areas surrounding the nuclear center.
28The Japan Center for Economic Research, however, suggests that the cost of clean-up for the nuclear plant alone could be as high as $470 billion.
29I'm John Russell.
1Japan has changed its plan for cleaning up the Fukushima nuclear plant. The change further delays the removal of used nuclear fuel that has remained in cooling pools since the 2011 disaster. 2The removal process is difficult because of high radiation levels and other risks. But the government and the plant's owner, Tokyo Electric Power or TEPCO, are aiming to complete the task within 30 to 40 years. 3More than 4,700 units of fuel rods 4After the earthquake and tsunami, more than 4,700 fuel rod units remain at the three melted reactors and two surviving reactors. The fuel rods present a high risk because their storage pools are uncovered. If another major disaster were to cause a loss of water, the fuel rods could melt, releasing radiation. 5Their removal was first planned in 2018. But it has now been postponed for up to 10 years in order to reduce radiation and to clear other waste. 6Million tons of radioactive water 7TEPCO has been unable to release 1.2 million tons of water kept in nearly 1,000 tanks at the Fukushima center. It is feared that the release of radioactive water will harm fishing and agriculture in the area. 8The plant can only store up to 1.37 million tons of water. And the amount of water is growing by 170 tons every day because it is used to cool the melted fuel inside the reactors. At this rate, TEPCO says the plant will run out of storage space by the summer of 2022. 9Japan's government recently wrote a proposal to release the water after treatment. The water is still somewhat radioactive, but TEPCO says further treatment can remove all but radioactive tritium to levels acceptable for release. Experts say tritium is not harmful to humans in small amounts and has been regularly released from nuclear plants around the world. 10No plan for disposal of melted fuel, radioactive waste 11The biggest difficulty for Japan is the removal of an estimated 880 tons of melted fuel from Fukushima's three severely damaged reactors. The amount is six times larger than what was found after the 1979 Three Mile Island partial meltdown in the United States. 12A robotic arm was developed for the task. The removal will begin with just a spoonful at first. The fuel will then be carefully measured and studied under International Atomic Energy Agency instructions. 13Japan hopes to slowly expand the process of removal with new methods and robotic development. However, the country has yet to develop a plan to dispose of the highly radioactive melted fuel and other waste from the reactors. 14TEPCO and the government say they plan to build a storage area for radioactive waste from Fukushima. But finding a place and getting public support will be difficult. 15Cost of clean-up 16The Japanese government estimates that the cost of the clean-up for Fukushima is about $73 billion. That number could grow to $200 billion with storage facilities and added compensation and clean-up of the areas surrounding the nuclear center. 17The Japan Center for Economic Research, however, suggests that the cost of clean-up for the nuclear plant alone could be as high as $470 billion. 18I'm John Russell. 19Mari Yamaguchi reported this story for the Associated Press. John Russell adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. 20______________________________________________________________ 21Words in This Story 22rod - n. a straight, thin stick or bar 23unit - n. a single thing, person, or group that is a part of something larger 24spoonful - n. as much as a spoon can hold - often + of 25dispose of - phrasal verb to throw (something) away : to get rid of (something) 26compensation - n. something that is done or given to make up for damage, trouble, etc. 27We want to hear from you. Write to us in the Comments Section.