FUKUSHIMA PLANT REACHING STABILITY

Abstract

TOKYO ELECTRIC Power Co. (TEPCO) is steadily making progress in its efforts to contain damage and stabilize the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant, the head of the United Nations’ nuclear monitoring agency said last week. Yukiya Amano, director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), said plant operator TEPCO has made notable headway in dealing with the crisis. On the basis of the progress made to date, he said, the utility’s plan to achieve a safe state by early next year, known as a cold shutdown, is possible. “IAEA welcomes the significant progress TEPCO has achieved overall in implementing its road map to contain and stabilize the situation,” Amano remarked before visiting the accident site on July 25 for the first time since the nuclear crisis began four months ago. Workers have been struggling to prevent radioactive contaminants from escaping the six-reactor facility since a massive earthquake and tsunami in March knocked out ...