May 12, 2015

NRC Seeking Public Comment on SHINE Mo-99 Construction Permit Impact Report

By ExchangeMonitor

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is seeking public comment on the draft environmental impact report for SHINE Medical Technologies’ construction authorization permit application to build a molybdemun-99 production facility in Janesville, Wis., the NRC announced yesterday. The NRC found in its draft report that a construction permit could be issued after finding the environment impacts from construction, operation and decommissioning of the SHINE facility would have minimal impacts on the environment. NRC staff will hold two public meetings on June 10 in Janesville to present the draft study’s findings and hear comments from the public on the document, the NRC said. The environmental impact report is only one part of the permit application process. A separate technical evaluation of the application is underway, the NRC said.

SHINE is one of several companies trying to create a domestic supply of the medical isotope used in millions of procedures annually. With Canada set to stop government spending in 2016 on the National Research Universal (NRU) reactor, one of the world’s largest suppliers of molybdenum-99 and technetium-99m, the medical isotope industry is expecting a shortage in the market in the coming years. NRU’s anticipated shutdown has led to a slew of startups looking to fill the lucrative medical isotope void—eight-to-nine companies have already sent the Nuclear Regulatory Commission letters of intent to submit construction authorization licenses for a potential Mo-99 production facility. Most of the companies have a timeline to reach production capabilities between late 2016 and early 2017, but regulatory hurdles still remain for many of the companies.

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