A sample of fuel debris was recently retrieved for the first time from the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Station's No. 2 reactor, which suffered a meltdown in the wake of the March 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and ensuing tsunami. The sample will reportedly be analyzed by a specialized organization and the results will be taken into consideration when selecting a method for full-scale removal of the debris.

This should be considered an important step toward the decommissioning of Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. (TEPCO)'s disaster-stricken plant. While steadily proceeding with the work, relevant parties should begin discussing a review of the decommissioning process.

Removing the melted fuel debris is regarded as the main task in decommissioning work. Without action, there remains a risk of radioactive materials leaking outside the reactors, and contaminated water will keep accumulating as the reactors are cooled.

However, there is still a mountain of problems to overcome.

The fuel debris retrieved this time was about 5 millimeters long and weighed just 0.7 grams. An estimated 880 metric tons of fuel debris remains inside reactors Nos. 1, 2 and 3. It is difficult to grasp the situation inside the reactors from such a small amount of retrieved debris.

In the first place, the work has fallen three years behind the original schedule. The delay came from difficulties in developing equipment that could endure high radiation levels. Trouble also occurred multiple times. Pipes were set up so a debris retrieval device could be inserted into the reactor but workers made the basic mistake of connecting them in the wrong order. Subsequently, work was halted due to a malfunction in the camera used to check operations.

As workers perform more tasks in the future in and around the reactors, where radiation levels are extremely high, the difficulties will increase even further. It is necessary to constantly check steps and systems to ensure that they are carried out with safety as the top priority.

Considering the history of the project so far, the goal is far away, and revisions to the decommissioning process are inevitable.

The current decommissioning process, which officials plan to complete by 2051, was formulated nine months after the March 2011 meltdowns, at a stage when there was little technical corroboration. Even under normal circumstances, decommissioning of a nuclear reactor takes 30 to 40 years. At the crippled Fukushima Daiichi plant there are many restrictions, including limits on work hours to reduce exposure to radiation. While local governments have been calling for radioactive waste, including fuel debris, to be disposed of outside Fukushima Prefecture, concrete discussions have not progressed.

The decommissioning of the reactors is closely related to the future vision of Fukushima Prefecture's recovery. If the process becomes a "pie in the sky," the distrust of those who care about their hometowns will not be resolved.

The Japanese government and TEPCO have a responsibility to tirelessly rework the process while carefully explaining the situation to the public.