TOKYO — A Japanese government panel says it will take at least 30 years to safely close the tsunami-hobbled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear power plant.
The plant, site of the world’s worst nuclear accident since Chornobyl in 1986, was severely damaged by Japan’s March 11 earthquake and tsunami. It suffered power outages, meltdowns and explosions that released radioactive material and forced tens of thousands to flee the area.
Officials say the plant is now relatively stable.
But an expert panel named by Japan’s Atomic Energy Commission said it would likely take 30 years or more to safely decommission the facility. The panel made the estimate in the draft of a report to be completed by the end of the year. The draft was posted on the commission’s website over the weekend.