Experts question ice wall at Japan nuclear plant

From:  AP

  

By MARI YAMAGUCHI , Associated Press

TOKYO (AP) — Experts on Friday expressed skepticism about a plan to build a costly underground frozen wall at Japan's crippled nuclear plant, a development that could delay the start of construction on the project.

(AP Photo/Koji Sasahara, Pool)

APImages.com More photos »

Koji Sasahara

FILE - In this March 10, 2014 file photo, workers of the Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) wearing protective gears install an underground frozen wall during a feasibility test at the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant in Okuma town, Fukushima prefecture, northeastern Japan. Experts said Friday they are skeptical about a plan to build a costly underground frozen wall at Japan’s crippled nuclear plant, a development that could delay construction plans. The experts and Japanese nuclear regulatory officials said during a meeting Friday, May 2 they weren’t convinced the project can resolve the contaminated water problem at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant, which suffered meltdowns following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

The experts and Japanese nuclear regulatory officials said during a meeting in Tokyo that they weren't convinced the project can resolve a serious contaminated water problem at the Fukushima Dai-ichi plant, which suffered multiple meltdowns following the 2011 earthquake and tsunami.

The frozen wall is a 32 billion yen ($320 million) government-funded project to surround the plant's four crippled reactors and their turbine buildings with an underground ice wall to block groundwater from flowing into the buildings' basements and mixing with highly radioactive water leaks from the melted cores.

Government officials say a feasibility test at the plant, run by Tokyo Electric Power Co., proved successful and that they hope to start construction in June, though the project could be delayed because of the experts' concerns.  MORE