1st phase of work to contain nuke crisis completed on time: Hosono (JAPAN)

[AsahinaKimi]

Goshi Hosono, minister in charge of nuclear accidents, responds to a question in an interview with the Mainichi and other news organization in Tokyo on July 8. (Mainichi)

TOKYO (Kyodo) -- Goshi Hosono, state minister in charge of handling the nuclear accident, said Sunday that ''Step 1'' or the first phase of work to bring the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant under control was completed on Sunday as scheduled.

''We believe Step 1 of stably cooling (the reactors) and eliminating risks of a hydrogen explosion has been achieved,'' Hosono said in a TV program, referring to the road map and time schedule issued April 17 by plant operator Tokyo Electric Power Co.


Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) begins a trial run of a contaminated water treatment system, developed by France's Areva SA, on June 15. (Photo courtesy of TEPCO)

The utility, known as TEPCO, shares that view. But going forward, concerns linger about whether the country's worst nuclear crisis will be contained as planned as some Step 1 goals were not achieved, including targets for decontaminating radioactive water accumulating at the site.

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