Tepco to demonstrate removal of radioactive debris from Fukushima No. 1

Tokyo Electric Power Co. will start a demonstration project as early as Thursday to remove a small amount of radioactive debris from its wrecked nuclear power plant in Fukushima. The operator of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant, which suffered a meltdown after a massive earthquake and tsunami overwhelmed the facility in 2011, will start the experimental removal process at reactor No. 2 on Thursday, so long as necessary inspections are completed on time, an official from the company said in a news conference Monday. It's a step forward for the utility and the government, which estimates the complete decommissioning of the facility will take three to four decades. Removal of the deadly debris has proved challenging, requiring the development of a robotic arm that can fish out radioactive fuel, metal cladding and other structures in the reactor that melted, cooled and solidified together. Tepco has delayed the start of procedure in the past.