TEPCO to Resume Fukushima Protective Cover Removal in Late July

Japanese utility company TEPCO will resume work to remove a protective cover from the stricken Fukushima reactor building in late July, a public Japanese broadcaster said.

A dome was installed over Reactor No.1 in 2011 to stop radioactive particles from escaping into the atmosphere after the facility suffered a meltdown when a tsunami caused by a powerful earthquake crippled the Fukushima nuclear plant.

According to the NHK broadcasting organization, the operator will begin dismantling the cover on July 28 if weather permits.

TEPCO began preparatory work to dismantle the protective cover over the Reactor 1 building in May. The preparations began with anti-dispersal agents poured through holes in the cover's roof to prevent radioactive dust from escaping into the surrounding environment during the dismantling process.

Dismantling has been delayed several times due to technical failures.