At the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan, an operation is getting under way in which robots will remove bags of sand contaminated with radioactive material. This innovative step is aimed at cleaning up areas affected by the 2011 earthquake and tsunami disaster.
There are about 42 tonnes of waste at the plant. Radiation levels are too high for people to carry out the task. Robots will pull out the bags and place them in special containers. According to the operating company’s plans, the process will take two years.
The operation is an important step toward using robots to deal with the aftermath of similar incidents. Preventing such accidents remains the ideal, but safe cleanup is already a major achievement.
Sustainability Times
