The operators of the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant have postponed the extremely complicated and difficult task of removing damaged atomic rods.<br /><br /> New video footage from a robot has revealed new leaks within the damaged reactors meaning the rods now can’t be taken out as planned.<br /><br /> One of the fuel assemblies was damaged as far back as 1982 when it was mishandled during a transfer and is bent out of shape.<br /><br /> Kazuaki Matsui, the executive director of Japan’s Institute of Applied Energy said: “It’s very difficult to remove a spent rod because parts of the wall and the bottom of the reactor are all melted. We’ve never had to deal with this before so that adds to the complication.”<br /><br /> Meanwhile, decontamination workers say mismanagement is to blame for the delay of radiation removal work.<br /><br /> The inital plan called for the clean-up in the affected towns to be finished by March this year but the government now says the work will be delayed by as much as three years.
