Chalk River resumes radioisotope production

The Canadian government-owned nuclear reactor at Chalk River, Ontario, was back in service this morning and expected to begin producing medical isotopes within four days, Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd said.

The National Research Reactor (NRU), which makes more than two-thirds of global supply of the radioisotopes used in cancer tests, was shut down in November for technical reasons, quickly triggering shortages.

On Wednesday, the Canadian government ordered the AECL, the government-owned nuclear technology company that operates the reactor, to restart the plant.

In spearheading the restart, Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper criticized Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission boss Linda Keen for not allowing the reactor to restart earlier this month because of what she said were safety concerns.

"NRU provides medical isotopes for about 25 million diagnoses and treatments a year," David Torgerson president of AECL's research and technology division, said in a statement.

"While we recognize the importance of the reliable production of medical isotopes, our first and foremost commitment is to safety. The NRU reactor has operated safely for the past 50 years and is safer now than ever before."

When injected into the body, the isotopes give off radiation that can be seen by a camera to diagnose cancer, heart disease and other medical conditions.

Chalk River produces medical isotopes for Canadian health-care company MDS Inc. and its MDS Nordion division, which is responsible for about 50 percent of world supply.

In addition to provoking shortages of medical isotopes in Canada and outside the country, the shutdown of the Chalk River reactor sparked a furious debate in parliament and changes at the AECL.

On Friday, Harper said he accepted the resignation of Michael Burns as AECL's chair of the board, effective Dec. 31.

He also announced the appointment of Glenna Carr as the new chair and Hugh MacDiarmid as chief executive officer.

Reuters

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Chalk River restarting isotope production

The nuclear reactor whose shutdown created a critical shortage of radioactive isotopes used to diagnose and treat cancer patients in Canada, the U.S. and many other nations, will resume its operation shortly.

Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. said yesterday that it expected to begin producing the medical isotopes within seven or eight days.

The announcement came a day after the government scrambled to pass legislation allowing the company to bypass Canada's nuclear safety watchdog and immediately restart the 50-year-old reactor at Chalk River, Ontario.

The reactor was shut down Nov. 18 for maintenance and was scheduled resume operation Nov. 23.
But the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission ordered an indefinite stoppage after discovering the reactor had been running for a year without the emergency power system being connected to two cooling pumps.

Prime Minister Stephen Harper said there was no risk of a meltdown with the startup. Company executives proposed an interim fix, in which one pump will be hooked up to the emergency power supply.

The reactor produces a radioactive substance called molybdenum-99, which is processed and packaged into canisters that are sold to big hospitals and specialized pharmacies.

The cylinders, in turn, are "milked" for technetium-99, which is used on patients. Technetium-99 is injected into patients undergoing body scans to assess a wide variety of conditions, including cancer, heart disease and bone or kidney illnesses.

Health Minister Tony Clement said he couldn't believe the AECL didn't inform health officials about the extended shutdown.

"I think it's shocking quite frankly," Clement told reporters yesterday. "... If there is an issue of extended shutdown in the future, Health Canada has to be notified immediately."

Source: The Associated Press

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Chalk River Part 4

"The continuing actions of the Liberal-appointed nuclear safety commission will jeopardize the health and safety and lives of tens of thousands of Canadians," Harper said today.

The Liberals shot back.

"Attacking the regulator and taking him out of the process is going to make the problem worse," charged Deputy Liberal Leader Michael Ignatieff.

The shutdown has led to radioisotope shortages throughout North America and other parts of the world that have delayed diagnostic testing, therapies and surgeries involving nuclear medicine. AECL has said it is unlikely the reactor will be back to full production until mid-January.

Legislation to be introduced Tuesday will call on the CNSC, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission, to reopen the reactor for 120 days. During that time, the reactor's operators will be expected to bring in the changes that CNSC has said are needed.

The proposed legislation was the topic of heated debate today, with Opposition members demanding to know whether it was safe to re-open a facility the country's nuclear watchdog has said does not meet safety standards.

"There will be no nuclear accidents," said Harper, responding to the heckles of Opposition members. "What there will be is a growing medical crisis if all members of the House don't support the legislation," he said.

The National Research Universal reactor is now 50 years old. It was supposed to have been decommissioned in 2005. But a plant designed to replace the aging facility is six years behind schedule and would not produce radioisotopes until late 2008.

The CNSC extended NRU's operating licence until the problems with the new reactors can be sorted out.

But the commission's director-general, Barclay Howden, said the licence was issued based on assurances from AECL that an emergency power system connected to cooling pumps had been installed. Safety regulators found out only last month that that those pumps were not installed.

The CNSC has said several new safety standards must be met before the reactor can be reopened. AECL employees are working around the clock and are in the process of completing the installation of one pump and have secured all necessary components to assemble the second pump.

The company says returning the NRU reactor to service, on an interim basis, using one coolant pump with the emergency backup power connected while work is completed on the second pump will allow the "safe operation of the reactor."

The "heroic efforts" by staff means the facility could be restarted on December 20, if all went well.

"Within three to four days we start delivering radioisotopes and within seven days we're at full production," said AECL spokesman Dale Coffin.

The reactor might restart as soon as Wednesday if the Conservative government succeeds in pushing through emergency legislation allowing AECL to use a back-up method.

The Ontario Association of Nuclear Medicine says that this is good news for the about 50,000 Canadians and 160,000 Americans who would have their tests postponed for each month the reactor remains shut down.

CTV and Reuters

"And the thriller continues......................."

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