House committee passes Mo-99 supply bill

The U.S. House of Representatives' Energy and Commerce Committee on October 23 passed the American Medical Isotopes Production Act (HR 3276) to help fund production of molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) in the U.S. and gradually eliminate the export of highly enriched uranium.

The legislation allocates $163 million to support projects for the production of molybdenum-99 without using highly enriched uranium in the process. The bill also prohibits the export of highly enriched uranium from the U.S. for medical isotope production seven years after the bill becomes law.

The bill, as amended by U.S. Rep. Edward Markey (D-MA), chairman of the subcommittee on energy and the environment, also stipulates that other medical isotopes, including iodine-131 and xenon-133, be produced as byproducts of the molybdenum-99 fission production process.

The legislation is designed to ensure a reliable supply of medical isotopes for the U.S. by manufacturing them with the country. Currently, all medical isotopes are imported from producers outside the U.S.

If the bill becomes law, the U.S. Department of Energy would use the funds to support private sector and/or research sector projects to produce Mo-99.

Related Reading

Mo-99 supply bill passes House subcommittee, October 21, 2009

Coalition urges Congress to act on Mo-99, July 29, 2009

Markey bill would fund U.S. isotope production, July 28, 2009

Copyright © 2009 AuntMinnie.com

Page 1 of 435
Next Page