TOKYO - Japanese media simmered with doubts on Saturday about a government announcement that the world's worst nuclear accident in 25 years had been contained with the tsunami-stricken Fukushima Daiichi plant in a state of cold shutdown.
Prime Minister Yoshihiko Noda announced on Friday the cold shutdown meant the accident itself had been contained, though he added that the government faced a long and hard task in cleaning up radiation and dismantling the plant, which may take up to 40 years.
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A cold shutdown is when water used to cool nuclear fuel rods stays below boiling point, preventing the fuel from reheating.
