Japan is likely to announce soon when the nuclear emergency at the crippled Fukushima No. 1 power plant will be concluded, local media reported Sunday. Chief Cabinet Secretary Yukio Edano said while meeting with Fukushima Gov. Yuhei Sato that the government "may be able to give an estimate in the next few days" of when the nuclear emergency will be contained, Kyodo News said. Separately, Tokyo Electric Power Co., operator of the Fukushima nuclear plant, is considering announcing as early as Sunday a schedule for the completion of work to contain the nuclear emergency, Kyodo quoted sources close to the matter as saying. The nuclear plant has been crippled by the devastating March 11 earthquake and ensuing tsunami, causing radioactive materials to be emitted into the environment. |