North Renfrew Times
December 10, 2009

Panel recommends new reactor

by Terry Myers

Canada's "expert review panel” on the future of the country's medical isotope supply has given a boost to those seeking a new reactor at Chalk River.

The panel recommended in its final report last week that a new, multi-purpose research reactor is the "best primary option” and the only "proven means” of supplying the isotopes needed for Canada's nuclear medicine programs.

Noting that the 52-year-old NRU reactor provides over half of all the world's medical isotopes, the panel urged the government to move "expeditiously” to approve a new reactor.

"With the NRU approaching the end of its life cycle, a decision on a new research reactor is needed quickly to minimize any gap between the start-up of a new reactor and the end of life of the NRU,” the panel said.

Local MP Cheryl Gallant welcomed the panel's recommendation.

"The good news for the Upper Ottawa Valley in this announcement is the recognition that time is critical,” Gallant said in a statement.

Chalk River presents the "least obstacles” when it comes to regulatory requirements and also benefits from the presence of CFB Petawawa, one of Canada’s largest military bases, she added.

"As a Class One Nuclear Licensed Facility, Chalk River is a centre of excellence in nuclear technology.

"It only makes sense to maintain this site to preserve Canadian expertise and intellectual assets,” Gallant said.

The isotope panel's recommendation is also a boost to the Chalk River Employees Ad Hoc TaskforcE (CREATE).

The CREATE group came together this fall to make sure local employees had their say on the proposed restructuring of AECL.

The group is suggesting that Chalk River be recast as a "national laboratory” for "nuclear and related sciences.”

Central to the group's vision would be the building of a new research reactor to replace NRU.

CREATE says the new reactor should be able to fulfill all three parts of NRU's current mandate - nuclear R&D, materials research using neutron beam technology, and the production of medical isotopes.

The isotope review panel agreed.

The panel said a new multi-purpose reactor would be the most expensive of the options for producing isotopes, with a cost of between $500 million and $1.2 billion, and it would also be the slowest to "market” with a timeline of at least five to 10 years.

But the panel also said a new reactor would be the "lowest risk path” to new isotope supply because it is proven technology, would also have the "most attendant benefit” to Canadians because of its research uses, and would be the "most adaptable to a changing market.”

The panel said the decision to build a new research reactor would be a "major science and techology policy decision” for Canada, but it has to happen soon.

"As a panel, we would like to stress the urgency of deciding the future of AECL and the need for a new research reactor in Canada.

"These decisions, although driven by factors other than isotopes, will play a large role in determining the best long-term strategies for securing isotopes for Canada.

"Because the current NRU licence expires in 2011 and its licence extension to 2016 and beyond is not guaranteed, any decision to build a new reactor should be made within the next year to allow the possibility of the new reactor coming on stream prior to the end of life of the NRU.”

Gordon Tapp, chairman of the CREATE committee, welcomed the panel's recommendations.

"There certainly are aspects of their report that are very favourable” to the group's vision, he said.

Like Gallant, Tapp said it would make sense to build a new reactor in Chalk River because the surrounding infrastructure and support systems are already in place.

Putting the reactor somewhere else, like Saskatchewan, would mean "you'd have to start from scratch.”

Tapp said CREATE will soon be launching a publicity campaign to gather support for their vision of Chalk River as a national lab.

The public will be able to go to the CREATE website, www.futurecrl.ca, to send email messages to government offices, and the group will be visiting area municipalities and chambers of commerce.