The Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plants operator has gained permission to move forward with a plan that would transfer over 1,000 fuel rods to a new location on the site, potentially preventing massive radiation leaks in the future, reports The Wall Street Journal. Around 1,300 spent fuel rods and 200 new fuel rods have been sitting in a pool inside one of the plants reactors, Unit 4, since it was damaged in March 2011. They must be handled one by one, says Shunichi Tanaka, chairman of Japans Nuclear Regulation Authority, according to the Journal. It would be a disaster if radioactive materials comes out of the metal rods during the work. Japans NRA approved the plan this week, which was put forth by Fukushimas operator, the Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO).