Chalk River isotopes expected by end of July

The Chalk River nuclear reactor should be ready to resume production of isotopes by the end of July, Atomic Energy of Canada Limited announced late Thursday.

In a statement, AECL stated 56 per cent of the repair work that began last May has been completed. A review of the schedule for the remaining work suggests the end of July target is feasible, the bureau said.

“The new schedule has built in prudent contingency reflecting the difficulty inherent in these final repairs,” it stated in the statement, noting the review had been done with advice from outside experts.

The president of the Canadian Association of Nuclear Medicine stated the latest estimate of when the reactor will be back on-line is a good news, bad news story.

“Let me put it this way: At this point in time, it’s better to know that they are optimistic about the fact that the repair can be accomplished,” Dr. Jean-Luc Urbain stated in an interview.

“What we are very concerned about is that … the repair might not be successful, and that would be definitely tragic. But at the same time, we are struggling to take care of our patients.”

The extended supply shortage has been difficult for hospitals, clinics and their patients. The isotopes are used in key diagnostic tests for some cardiovascular conditions as well as some forms of cancer.

The 52-year-old reactor went off-line last May after a heavy water leak was detected following a power outage in the area. Initially it was thought the fixes would take a month to complete, but it quickly became apparent the work might take considerably longer.

The shut down of the Ontario reactor, which has coincided with a shut down of a Dutch reactor, has led to a worldwide isotopes shortage. Chalk River and the Dutch reactor normally produce the lion’s-share of the world’s medical isotopes.

The AECL statement stated eight of 10 weld sites have been completed. But the location of the two remaining sites to be repaired make the final steps extremely challenging, it said.

“It’s very delicate,” Urbain stated of the needed repairs. “I think the repair needs to be done properly. I think if they are not done properly, we might not have a reactor again.”

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Submited at Friday, March 26th, 2010 at 9:00 am on Health by Alina
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