Fukushima reactors will be stable by January, operator insists

Source: The Guardian

The firm at the centre of Japan's worst nuclear accident insisted on Tuesday it would bring stricken reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi power plant under control by January 2012, despite evidence that the complex is more seriously damaged than previously thought.

Tokyo Electric Power Company (Tepco) said it would try new methods to cool the reactors, but would stick with its original plan, announced a month ago, to stabilise radiation levels and bring the units to a stable condition – a process known as "cold shutdown" – within six to nine months.

Officials said the melting of fuel rods in three reactors did not raise the risk of explosions and would not affect the timeline for bringing the plant under control.

But Tepco's roadmap has looked increasingly unworkable recently, after it said uranium fuel rods in three reactors had been left exposed and had melted hours after the earthquake on 11 March.

Read more: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/may/17/fukushima-reactors-stable-january-operator-says

Or the reason for a stable media blackout of what is actually occurring?

It's always easy to make predictions months out. I don't know if I'd believe them if they said they WERE stable, since they've lied so much already.

Can't they dump lead and boron on the f'n thing?