Gates of No.3 storage pool out of position

March 27, 2015

Fuel pool gates found shifted at Fukushima plant

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/nuclear.html

Mar. 27, 2015 - Updated 00:22 UTC+1

The operator of the disabled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant says 2 iron gates that keep cooling water inside a spent fuel pool were found to be out of position.

Tokyo Electric Power Company officials say this could affect the removal of debris.

The utility has been using an underwater camera to examine the condition of about 560 units of spent nuclear fuel inside the No.3 reactor storage pool.

TEPCO officials said on Thursday that both of the iron gates in the pool had shifted from their original positions.

They say the inner gate was likely damaged by a large machine that fell into the pool.

The operator says it will examine if removal of the machine from the pool may trigger water leaks.

The utility plans to remove the machine in April and will start removing nuclear fuel by the end of September.