Fifteen years after Fukushima: Graduate student gains global perspective

Nearly 15 years have passed since the Great East Japan Earthquake, and the 15-meter tsunami it triggered, compromised the power supplies and cooling systems of three reactors at the Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant. The damage resulted in a severe nuclear accident that forced the evacuation of a 40 km wide region and 160,000 residents. 

While there have been no reported deaths or cases of radiation sickness linked to the accident, Japan continues to face the monumental task of removing the contaminated fuel debris from the site. 

This summer, Nick Crnkovich, a graduate student in the UW–Madison Materials Degradation under Corrosion and Radiation (MADCOR) research group, gained firsthand insight into the ongoing restoration efforts by participating in the 2025 Nuclear Innovator Cultivation Camp (NICC) hosted at the Institute of Science Tokyo.

Through group work, lectures from experts, and a visit to the TEPCO Decommissioning Archive Center, NICC fosters international collaboration between early-career students and researchers, serving as a forum for discussion about further restoration techniques and emerging nuclear technologies.

“I’ve learned about the accident, but I didn’t really know the amount of work and the level of international collaboration that’s going on to rectify it,” Crnovich says.

His cohort included other U.S. graduate students, as well as Japanese students who were in grade school or early high school when the accident happened and are now working in the nuclear industry. He also met employees from TEPCO, the company that owned and operated the Fukushima plant. 

“It was striking and very refreshing,” says Crnkovich. “They have a deep sense of personal responsibility and commitment to not just containing it, but removing all of the radioactive material to return the area to a safe spot.”

Today, the restricted zone at the Fukushima Daiichi plant has been reduced considerably and is now mostly limited to the reactor buildings themselves. The next major hurdle is removing the contaminated fuel debris—approximately 880 tons—stored at the site.

Accessing the debris is a technical challenge: currently, it can only be reached through two ports, each just 50 centimeters in diameter. Custom-engineered robots have already mapped out the interior of the reactor containment vessels. The next step is designing robots that can extract the debris. Even at the target rate of 300 kilograms per day, the process could take several years, and other challenges remain to achieve the goal of completing decommissioning by 2051.

“They aren’t wavering or suggesting to simply pour concrete over the area and cordon it off,” says Crnkovich. “They’re ready to solve these challenges.”

Learning from Fukushima, the nuclear industry has seen significant advancements in hydrogen monitoring, dispersing hydrogen buildup, and enhancing natural disaster precautions. In reflecting on his experience, Crnkovich is reminded that advancing the nuclear field is not just a technical challenge, but also one of building public safety and trust. 

“Being there and talking to the people that were around when it happened definitely puts safety back in the forefront for me as we move on to advanced reactor concepts,” says Crnkovich. “It’s important that we don’t let hubris climb back in.”

The NICC program is a testament to the continued importance of transparency, shared responsibility, and global cooperation as the nuclear industry continues to innovate. At UW–Madison, researchers in the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics are committed to advancing the reliability of nuclear reactors and fusion energy devices to provide safe and sustainable clean energy solutions.