The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has accepted an operating license application from Shine Medical Technologies for the company's planned medical isotope production facility in Janesville, WI.
Shine's application is part of the regulatory approval process to operate its nonnuclear reactor technology to produce radioisotopes, including molybdenum-99 (Mo-99), the precursor to technetium-99m (Tc-99m). Shine expects the facility to supply approximately two-thirds of the U.S. demand for the isotope.
The NRC's acceptance of the application confirms that Shine's document was "complete and of sufficient quality," according to company, for the agency to begin its technical review of the information. The NRC next will conduct a regulatory audit to determine a schedule for the rest of the review.
Shine broke ground for its Mo-99 production facility in May. Excavation at the site began in September, with concrete work expected to commence this month. If all goes according to plan, the company could begin manufacturing Mo-99 in 2021, with commercial production starting in 2022.
