Bill C-38 (Historical)

An Act to permit the resumption and continuation of the operation of the National Research Universal Reactor at Chalk River

This enactment permits Atomic Energy of Canada Limited to resume and continue the operation of the National Research Universal Reactor at Chalk River in Ontario for a period of 120 days despite certain conditions of its licence under the Nuclear Safety and Control Act.

An Act to permit the resumption and continuation of the operation of the National Research Universal Reactor at Chalk River

[Marcel Lussier, Bloc, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Chair, the minister will have an opportunity to continue his response.

When there is a shortage of isotopes, who decides how they are distributed? It was mentioned previously that there are Canadian clients and 400,000 American clients, but who makes the decisions about distribution when there is a shortage?

Is there a policy on giving priority to Canadians' needs before sending isotopes to the United States?

[Tony Clement, Conservative, Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON]

Mr. Chair, of course, this is not our decision. The decision is made by the hospitals, doctors and specialists. If a patient needs treatment, they have the responsibility to get that isotope.

There is no national triage system in place. What I can say to the hon. member is that in terms of the coordination among nuclear specialists today in Canada, there is an unprecedented degree of cooperation and coordination among all of the medical specialists to ensure to the best of their ability that those who need the treatment the most are first in line to get the treatment.

My only caveat and warning to this chamber is that as medical isotopes become rarer and rarer each and every day, the ability of medical specialists to triage successfully declines and declines. That was the point I was trying to make.

[Marcel Lussier, Bloc, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Chair, since the product is in short supply, when Chalk River resumes production, will Canadians or Americans get priority? Who will decide to supply Canadian hospitals before American hospitals?

[Tony Clement, Conservative, Parry Sound—Muskoka, ON]

Mr. Speaker, I have already said that if there is a contract between Atomic Energy of Canada and a hospital, when there is a request, it will be the responsibility of Nordion or Atomic Energy of Canada to set in motion a process to respond to that request.

That is the decision. If there is a need in Canada, if there is a contract in place with a Canadian hospital, that contract will be supplied.

[Marcel Lussier, Bloc, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Chair, Mr. McGee has control over the distribution of isotopes, right?

How does he decide which client gets priority? Is it Canadians or Americans? Do the contracts determine who gets priority?

[David F. Torgerson]

Mr. Chair, I just want to go back to something that I said earlier and that is that NRU is a huge producer of medical isotopes. When we are running, we can supply all the isotope that is required in Canada and a large proportion of what is required in the United States. We have at times gone up in production, much higher than our normal production, when there have been shortages in the United States from other suppliers.

I am confident that when we are operating again, we can supply all the isotope that is required in Canada and a lot of the isotope that is required in the United States.

[Marcel Lussier, Bloc, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Chair, I have another question for Mr. McGee.

It was mentioned that Chalk River has existed for 50 years. How long have isotopes been produced there?

[The Deputy Chair, Conservative, Royal Galipeau]

For the sake of clarity, the gentleman who is replying to the questions is not Mr. McGee but Mr. Torgerson.

[David F. Torgerson]

Mr. Chair, first of all, the use of medical isotopes and the isotope business is an area that was in fact pioneered in Chalk River. People in the early days of Chalk River developed the business, which is now a worldwide business.

We have been producing isotopes currently in production since the early 1970s. I believe since 1971 we have produced medical isotopes for Nordion and now what is called MDS Nordion.

[Marcel Lussier, Bloc, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Chair, it was mentioned earlier that the Chalk River reactor has frequently been shut down, but for short durations. I believe three or four day periods were mentioned.

How often do these three or four day stoppages occur?

[David F. Torgerson]

Mr. Chair, these are deliberate stoppages. Every four weeks we shut the reactor down for about four days in order to do maintenance. This is regularly every four weeks.

[Marcel Lussier, Bloc, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Chair, there have never been stoppages at the Chalk River nuclear reactor for major repairs or refurbishment, as is the case for the CANDU reactors in Gentilly? Hydro-Québec plans to stop the Gentilly reactor for a year and a half to complete the refurbishment. The Chalk River reactor has never been stopped for an extended period?

[David F. Torgerson]

Mr. Chair, we have had stoppages in the past at Chalk River, but in the past we have had always ways of making up the isotope.

We have had stoppages in Chalk River, but we have also been able to keep up the production of the isotopes. We have had the NRU reactor and the NRX both operating at Chalk River.

[Marcel Lussier, Bloc, Brossard—La Prairie, QC]

Mr. Chair, could the production of isotopes in Chalk River be transferred to another CANDU reactor?

[David F. Torgerson]

Mr. Chair, the isotope production in Chalk River is not carried out by a Candu reactor. The NRU reactor is a research reactor. It is very different from a Candu reactor. In fact the NRU reactor was used to help develop the Candu reactor.

Medical isotopes, such as the most important isotope, molybdenum 99, are not made in Candu reactors.