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Common Dreams reports:
The public cost of cleaning up the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant disaster topped ¥4.2 trillion (roughly [$41] billion) as of March, and is expected to keep climbing, the Japan Times reported [August 28].
That includes costs for radioactive decontamination and compensation payments. Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO) will sell off its shares to eventually pay back the cost of decontamination and waste disposal, but the Environment Ministry expects that the overall price of those activities could exceed what TEPCO would get for its shares.
Meanwhile, the taxpayer burden is expected to increase and TEPCO is asking for additional help from the government.
[...] Problems still persist at the nuclear plant, most notably with the highly contaminated water being stored in tanks at the site. [...] "The situation with contaminated water at the site is a ticking time bomb and they don't seem to know what they can do--other than to construct more tanks", [said Aileen Mioko-Smith, an anti-nuclear activist with the group Green Action Japan].
takyon: ¥4.2 trillion is approximately $41 billion at today's exchange rates, not $628 billion. You can reach the author of the Common Dreams article, Nadia Prupis, by the email or Twitter account listed on this page.
(Score: 2) by butthurt on Tuesday August 30 2016, @04:50AM
Three reactors had melt-downs. I wonder whether future earthquakes could cause a change in geometry that would lead to criticality, or whether a future tsunami could lead to criticality when seawater acted as a moderator. In such an event, there could be one or more small explosions and radioactive smoke could be released. One would prefer not to be nearby if that should happen.
I have the impression that the surrounding area was sparsely populated, and that farming and fishing were the main economic activities. Resumption of farming might result in radioactive dust becoming airborne when fields are ploughed, or radionuclides getting into the food supply if food crops are raised. The latter applies to fishing.