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Restored at the plant, or at least those cables were hooked back up, it hasn't been fully restored, the cooling pumps haven't been turned on, but there was hope the crisis was getting under control. you believe some of the most risky work still lays ahead. >> yeah, that's exactly right, anderson. think about it. when that accident happened, much of the radioactivity basically stayed inside what we call the primary containment building. over the days, we've seen some of the consequences of that in the countryside and now reaching to tokyo. most of that radioactivity remains inside the primary c...

Here's what danny udey told me in our interview. >> it went on for a long time and while we were there, we just got into the corner, myself and my other co-workers, and friends and the japanese people tried to get up close to some of the main structure and the beams that were there, and do the best we could, because we couldn't make it to the door, it was shaking too much, too violently for us to get out. >> he was lucky to get out. more of that interview later this week. tonight, the crisis, the quake and the tsunami. nuclear experts point out the clock is running. michael freelander joins me...

Were there, and do the best we could, because we couldn't make it to the door, it was shaking too much, too violently for us to get out. >> more of that interview later this week. tonight, the crisis, the quake and the tsunami. nuclear experts point out the clock is running. michael freelander joins me now. michael, when electricity was restored at the plant, or at least those cables were hooked back up, the cooling pumps haven't been turned on, but there was hope the crisis was getting under control. you believe some of the most risky work still lays ahead. >> yeah, that's exactly right, ande...

Used up eventually. your 12 foot long fuel rod full of the uranium pellets lasts about six years in a reactor, with the reactor turned on, the fission process over about six years uses that uranium fuel up. it becomes something they call spent fuel. and when they call it spent fuel, what they mean is that it is degraded enough that even though it is still wicked radioactive, it is no longer efficient for doing what nuclear power plants are supposed to do, which is generating a lot of heat, boiling a lot of water, making steam that spins turbines that make electricity. so here's the problem. af...

With the reactor turned on, the fission process over about six years uses that uranium fuel up. it becomes something they call spent fuel. and when they call it spent fuel, what they mean is that it is degraded enough that even though it is still wicked radioactive, it is no longer efficient for doing what nuclear power plants are supposed to do, which is generating a lot of heat, boiling a bunch of water, making a bunch of steam that spins turbines that make electricity. so here's the problem. after you've gotten your good six years out of uranium pellet filled fuel rods, what do you do with ...