The government and operator of the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant announced they had abandoned plans to start removing melted nuclear fuel and other contaminated debris from the stricken facility within 2021, citing delayed development in Britain of a robotic arm crucial for the purpose.
They explained that the novel coronavirus pandemic was chiefly to blame for the delay.
The government and Tokyo Electric Power Co. had planned to start the hazardous task in 2021 but said Dec. 24 that is no longer feasible.
