Workers at the wrecked Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant have begun removing fuel rods from a storage pool near one of the three reactors that suffered meltdowns eight years ago. The measure marks a milestone in efforts to decommission the plant, although the more critical removal of melted fuel from inside three damaged reactors will prove far more difficult.
The operation to remove the fuel rods will take two years. Workers are remotely operating a crane to raise the fuel from a storage rack in the pool and place it into a protective cask. The whole process occurs underwater to prevent radiation leaks. The entire decommissioning work is expected to take at least 40 years.
Okuma, one of two towns that host the nuclear plant, has partially lifted its evacuation order. But as of mid-April, only 367 people, or 3.5% of Okuma’s pre-disaster population of 10,341, have registered as residents.