The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has accepted for review the second part of medical isotope firm Shine Medical Technologies' construction permit application.
The second half of the construction permit application includes the remainder of the preliminary safety analysis report and Shine's plans for dealing with any potential emergencies at the medical isotope production plant near Janesville, WI. The first half of the construction permit application was accepted by the NRC for review on June 25, 2013.
The acceptance review confirms that Shine has met the regulatory requirements for the application, including providing a preliminary safety assessment and an evaluation of the environmental impacts. The acceptance of the application is a "significant milestone" for the company and an important step in the development of domestic production of medical isotopes, Shine said.
With the acceptance review completed, the NRC's detailed technical review will commence; in the coming weeks, the NRC will publish a review schedule that identifies significant milestones and an expected review completion date.
There will be opportunities for public involvement, and the NRC may ask for additional information; a hearing will be scheduled to be conducted before the construction permit is approved. Their final approval of the construction permit will allow Shine to proceed with the construction of the plant. An additional application for an operating license will be prepared by Shine and approved by the NRC before production operations can start.
