Developing the Sandia National Laboratories transportation infrastructure for isotope products and wastes
Certain radioactive isotopes for North American and especially the United States` needs are enormously important to the medical community and their numerous patients. The most important medical isotope is {sup 99}Mo, which is currently manufactured by Nordion International Inc. in a single, aging reactor operated by Atomic Energy of Canada, Ltd. The reactor`s useful life is expected to end at the turn of the century. Production loss because of reactor shutdown possibilities prompted the US Congress to direct the DOE to provide for a US backup source for this crucial isotope. The SNL Annular Core Research Reactor (ACRR) was evaluated as a site to provide {sup 99}Mo initially and other isotopes that can be economically extracted from the process. Medical isotope production at SNL is a new venture in manufacturing. Should SNL be selected and the project reach the manufacturing stage, SNL would expect to service up to 30% of the US market under normal circumstances as a backup to the Canadian supply with the capability to service 100% should the need arise. The demand for {sup 99}Mo increases each year; hence, the proposed action accommodates growth in demand to meet this increase. The proposed project would guarantee the supply of medical isotopes would continue if either the irradiation or processing activities in Canada were interrupted.
- Research Organization:
- Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE, Washington, DC (United States)
- DOE Contract Number:
- AC04-94AL85000
- OSTI ID:
- 187257
- Report Number(s):
- SAND-95-0189C; CONF-951203-8; ON: DE96003657
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: PATRAM `95: 11. international conference on packaging and transportation of radioactive materials, Las Vegas, NV (United States), 3-8 Dec 1995; Other Information: PBD: [1995]
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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