TOKYO (AP) — The International Atomic Energy Agency has urged Japan to spend ample time in developing a decommissioning plan for the tsunami-damaged Fukushima nuclear power plant and to be honest with the public about remaining uncertainties.
The IAEA issued a report Thursday based on a visit by a team to the plant in November. It urged the plant's operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co., to secure adequate space and finish plans for managing melted fuel before starting to remove it from the three damaged reactors.
The cores of the three reactors melted after a massive 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Utility and government officials plan to start removing the melted fuel in 2021, but still know little about its condition and have not finalized waste management plans.
