IAEA urges Japan to take ample time in Fukushima cleanup

The International Atomic Energy Agency urged Japan on Thursday 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.

In a report based on a visit by an IAEA team to the plant in November, the agency urged the operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co., to secure adequate space and finish plans for managing highly radioactive 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.

"The IAEA review team advises that before the commencement of the fuel debris retrieval activities, there should be a clear implementation plan defined to safely manage the retrieved material," the report said.

"TEPCO should ensure that appropriate containers and storage capacity are available before starting the fuel debris retrieval." The report also urged the government and TEPCO to carefully consider ways to express "the inherent uncertainties involved" in the project and develop "a credible plan" for the long term. It advised TEPCO to consider adopting contingency plans to "accommodate any schedule delays."