Japan To Begin Removal Of Fuel Rods From Fukushima Plant
Source: Russia Today
Read Full Article: http://rt.com/news/fukushima-fuel-rod-removal-365/
The operation will entail lifting bundles of the 4-meter-long uranium and plutonium rods out of the storage pool …. The rods will then be individually transferred into a water-filled cask and loaded onto a truck to be transported to a more secure site on the territory of the power station.
Scientists have urged caution as such an operation has never been undertaken. “If something goes wrong this could be a global catastrophe that dwarfs what has happened in Fukushima Daiichi thus far.” Kevin Kamps, a nuclear waste specialist from the organization Beyond Nuclear.
“There is more radioactivity in that fuel pool than in all the bombs that were fired in above ground testing. So we have the equivalent of 700 nuclear bombs worth of material in that fuel pool….” Arnold Gunderson, a nuclear power expert.
“Handling spent fuels involves huge risks. It would be a disaster if radioactive materials come out of the metal rods during the work.” Shunichi Tanaka, chairman of the Nuclear Regulation Authority.
TEPCO has assured that the 18-month process will go off without a hitch and that the necessary measures have been taken to ensure safety. The company has reinforced the storage pool where the rods are being held with steel and concrete… In addition, a steel shell has been constructed to block radiation leaks while the rods are being moved.
Source: Russia Today
Read Full Article: http://rt.com/news/fukushima-fuel-rod-removal-365/
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