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BBC: In an effort to contain contaminated water leaking from holding tanks at Japan’s Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, the government plans to freeze the soil surrounding it. At an estimated cost of ¥47 billion ($473 million), a wall of frozen earth is to be created by circling the perimeter with a system of pipes through which coolant will be pumped. The technique has been used in the past, but only on a much smaller scale, and it has never been used to control radioactive contamination. The contaminated water is the result of attempts to cool the reactors damaged by the 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. Because Tokyo is a top contender to host the 2020 Olympic Games, the pressure is on to clean up one of the worst nuclear disasters in history.
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Japan to build ice wall around damaged Fukushima nuclear site Free
3 September 2013