Central control room of Japan's nuclear fuel-reprocessing plant

Central control room of Japan's nuclear fuel-reprocessing plant

ROKKASHO, Japan - The central control room of Japan's first spent nuclear fuel-reprocessing plant under construction by Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd. in Rokkasho, Aomori Prefecture, northeastern Japan, is shown in this file photo taken on April 16, 2014.

Central control room of Japan's nuclear fuel-reprocessing plant

Central control room of Japan's nuclear fuel-reprocessing plant

ROKKASHO, Japan - The central control room of Japan's first spent nuclear fuel-reprocessing plant under construction by Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd. in Rokkasho, Aomori Prefecture, northeastern Japan, is shown in this file photo taken on April 16, 2014.

Fuel reprocessing plant

Fuel reprocessing plant

TOKYO, Japan - A June 2012 photo shows the spent nuclear fuel reprocessing plant of Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd. in Rokkasho, Aomori Prefecture, in northeastern Japan. The operator applied on Jan. 7, 2014, for a state safety assessment of the plant to put it onstream.

Rokkasho plant resumes accepting spent nuke fuel

Rokkasho plant resumes accepting spent nuke fuel

ROKKASHO, Japan - A container carrying spent nuclear fuel is unloaded at Mutsuogawara port in Rokkasho, Aomori Prefecture, on June 3. Japan Nuclear Fuel Ltd.'s nuclear fuel reprocessing plant resumed accepting spent nuclear fuel the same day for the first time in about 19 months.

Reprocessed nuclear waste arrives in Rokkasho from France

Reprocessed nuclear waste arrives in Rokkasho from France

ROKKASHO, Japan - The British freighter Pacific Sandpiper arrives in Mutsu-Ogawara port in the village of Rokkasho, Aomori Prefecture in northern Japan on Jan. 22. It was carrying highly radioactive nuclear waste reprocessed in France from spent nuclear fuel removed from nuclear reactors in Japan. The waste will be stored at a Rokkasho storage facility for 30-50 years.

Spent nuclear fuel cargo arrives in Rokkasho

Spent nuclear fuel cargo arrives in Rokkasho

ROKKASHO, Japan - The 4,913-ton Rokuei Maru (background), carrying about 24 tons of spent nuclear fuel, arrives at a port in Aomori Prefecrture on Dec. 19. The spent nuclear fuel will be taken to a reprocessing plant currently under construction in the village of Rokkasho, some 7 kilometers from the port.