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April 18, 2011. Japanese officials hope to end nuclear crisis by the end of 2011

SOURCE: Altegrity Risk International

The operators of the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactor in Fukushima prefecture said on April 17th that they expected to bring the crisis under control by the end of 2011, reports indicated. Company officials said they hoped to reduce radiation leaks in three months and cool the reactor within nine months. A new opinion poll, meanwhile, said that a majority of Japanese are dissatisfied with the government's handling of the nuclear crisis and March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. Two thirds of those surveyed said they backed increased taxes to pay for reconstruction, with costs estimated at US$300 billion. In other news, officials used remote-controlled robots to measure radiation levels, with readings from two buildings showing a "harsh environment" for humans to work in. A top government spokesperson said he could not confirm whether he believed the tens of thousands of families evacuated from the area around the nuclear power plant would all be allowed to return.