New plan for stabilizing Fukushima

TOKYO, May 17 (UPI) -- Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s strategy for cooling the Fukushima nuclear reactors has been revised, the utility announced Tuesday.

Rather than flood the reactors with fresh water, TEPCO will build a circulation system that flushes water through the pressure vehicle, decontaminates it and then pumps it back in, The Washington Post reported.

Despite the revision, the company still expects to stabilize the plant within six to nine months.

The utility was forced to overhaul cooling plans after learning of a substantial meltdown in the plant's unit 1 reactor.

Fuel pellets collected at the bottom of the pressure vessel, burning small holes or cracks in the containment that allowed coolant to leak.

Damage to the unit 1 building from the March earthquake and tsunami became clear only last week when engineers fixed a gauge that measured water levels, the Post said.

For weeks, TEPCO had said the fuel rods in unit 1 were 60 percent cover by water but it turned out that they were fully exposed.

The meltdown at the Fukushima plant was the worst nuclear incident in a quarter century.

About 80,000 residents were forced to abandon their homes within 12 miles of the plant.