| A year later, decontamination and construction crews are still working to clean up the nuclear disaster at Japan's Fukushima Dai-ichi Power plant. Experts expect the cleanup will take decades and cost tens of billions of dollars. The earthquake and resulting tsunami that hit Japan 's east coast last March 11th was one of the biggest the world has ever recorded, killing nearly 16000 people, injuring 6000 and causing another 3000 to go missing. But the natural disaster was eclipsed by news of the nuclear one, which was the worst since the Chernobyl meltdown in 1986. Japan's struggles in dealing with Fukushima captivated the world's attention for weeks, as a small group of men in radiation suits fought to cool the plant's damaged and burning reactors. 200000 area residents were evacuated. Polling shows public opinion around nuclear power also remains damaged, with the possible impact of natural disasters on plants and the power to contain damage still in question. Eleven US power companies are currently seeking license extensions for 15 nuclear power plants across America built decades ago. In the wake of Fukushima, the future of old plants, and the viability of new ones, hangs in the balance. |
