The Canadian government may divide Atomic Energy of Canada (AECL) into two entities -- a research division to oversee the National Research Universal (NRU) nuclear reactor at Chalk River, Ontario, and a second unit that would include its nuclear reactors designed for power generation.
The Canadian Press quoted Minister of Natural Resources Lisa Raitt as saying that AECL needs to "focus on the one aspect of their commercial side, their selling of nuclear reactors, and we want to equip them the best way to do it. But equally important is the Chalk River labs side."
In a September 11 speech to the Economic Club of Canada in Toronto, Raitt discussed the current global shortage of medical isotopes, of which AECL's Chalk River reactor is a major producer and supplier.
Raitt estimated that it would take at least five years to build a new facility to produce medical isotopes and advocated global cooperation as the short-term solution.
The NRU reactor has been offline since May for repairs and is not expected to return to service at least until the first quarter of 2010.
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SNM: Nuclear medicine tests being postponed, September 9, 2009
AECL: Chalk River will be back online, August 28, 2009
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Moly crisis to continue as AECL pushes reactor restart to 2010, August 13, 2009
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