Antinuclear

No 21st Century medical isotope production for Australia: it’s “On with the nuclear!”

Australia to expand isotope production World Nuclear News 03 October 2012 The Australian government is expanding the country’s production of medical radioisotopes and constructing a demonstration waste treatment plant for managing the subsequent radioactive by-products.

Minister for science and research Chris Evans recently announced a A$168 million ($172 million) investment plan to construct a nuclear medicine manufacturing plant at the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation’s (Ansto’s) Lucas Heights site near Sydney, where the low-enriched uranium Open Pool Australian Lightwater (Opal) reactor is in operation.

The nuclear medicine manufacturing plant will mainly produce molybdenum-99 (Mo-99), the source of technetium-99 (Tc-99), which is used for diagnosis of heart disease, cancers, and kidney and gastrointestinal tract disorders……
The collocated waste treatment plant will use Synroc, a suite of technologies developed by Ansto for immobilising various forms of intermediate- and high-level radioactive wastes for disposal. It is a ceramic made from several natural minerals which together incorporate into their crystal structures nearly all of the elements present in
high-level radioactive waste. According to Ansto, Synroc can reduce
the volume of nuclear by-products by 99% (compared with other methods
such as cementation).
The Synroc-treated waste will be sent from Lucas Heights to the
national radioactive waste management facility – planned in Muckaty
Station, Northern Territory – once it has been sited, constructed and
licensed.
Ansto said that the Synroc facility “will deliver a permanent, safe
and economical way of treating waste from past, current and future
manufacture of nuclear medicines.”
Planning for the nuclear medicine manufacturing plant and Synroc plant
is already underway, with construction set to start in 2014. Full
production is expected to start in 2016.
http://www.world-nuclear-news.org/NN-Australia_to_expand_isotope_production-0310124.html

October 4, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | AUSTRALIA - NATIONAL, technology