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Al Mayadeen correspondent: The US vetoed a UNSC resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, arguing it does not condemn Hamas nor grant "Israel" the right to “self-defense.”
Israeli occupation forces issue a new bombing threat against civilian buildings in the Southern Lebanese towns of Borj Qalaouiye and Chehabiyeh.
Sources to Al Mayadeen: Extending the snapback mechanism deadline will test how independent Europeans truly are from the US.
Sources to Al Mayadeen: Activating the snapback mechanism will nullify the Cairo Agreement, shut the door on cooperation between the IAEA and Tehran, and bar inspections.
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Sources to Al Mayadeen: Although the Cairo Agreement meets an important part of European demands, they have begun speaking of new conditions in recent communications.
Sources to Al Mayadeen: European countries show no independence in their stance toward Iran during the talks.
Israeli occupation forces issued bombing threats to bomb civilian buildings in Southern Lebanon.
Israeli media: Person behind shooting operation at Allenby Crossing is a Jordanian Army soldier.
Israeli media citing Emergency Services: Both wounded in Allenby shooting operation now dead.

Fukushima begins operation to remove radioactive debris

  • By Al Mayadeen English
  • Source: News websites
  • 10 Sep 2024 11:29
2 Min Read

Robots are being utilized to collect samples that provide insights into the conditions inside the reactors, a crucial step in the decommissioning process of the plant struck by the tsunami in Japan 13 years ago.

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  • An aerial view of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan. Tepco has begun an operation to remove radioactive debris from inside its reactors using robots. Photograph: AP
    An aerial view of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan. Tepco has begun an operation to remove radioactive debris from inside its reactors using robots. (AP)

The challenging task of removing a small amount of radioactive debris from Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant has commenced, following a delay caused by technical issues during an earlier attempt.

Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) announced on Tuesday that it has initiated its “pilot extraction operation,” which is expected to take about two weeks. This initial extraction will involve a small sample to help understand conditions inside the reactors, a crucial step in the decommissioning process for the Fukushima Daiichi plant.

Approximately 880 tons of highly hazardous material remain at the site, 13 years after a tsunami triggered by a 9.0-magnitude earthquake led to one of the worst nuclear disasters in history. The removal of this debris is considered the most formidable challenge in the decades-long decommissioning effort.

Tepco had initially planned to begin this first trial removal on August 22, aiming to collect just three grams (0.1 ounces) of debris for analysis. However, the company had to halt the operation at an early stage due to issues with the installation of the necessary equipment.

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Dive deeper

When the tsunami struck on March 11, 2011, three of Fukushima plant’s six reactors were operational and subsequently went into meltdown. The radiation levels within the debris are so intense that Tepco had to design specialized robots to operate in the environment.

In preparation for the debris removal, Tepco deployed two mini-drones and a “snake-shaped robot” into one of the reactors in February.

Additionally, Japan began discharging treated wastewater from the Fukushima plant into the Pacific Ocean last year, leading to a diplomatic dispute with China and Russia, as well as other regional countries. Both countries have imposed bans on Japanese seafood imports, although Tokyo maintains that the discharge is safe, a stance supported by the IAEA.

In a bid to boost local produce, Tepco also initiated a campaign promoting Fukushima-grown food. This past Saturday, London’s Harrods department store started selling peaches from the Fukushima region. 

Read more: Japan begins dump of Fukushima wastewater into ocean

  • TEPCO
  • Japan
  • Fukushima
  • Russia
  • China
  • radioactive debris
  • Japan's Fukushima nuclear plant

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