ML20209E341

Supports Exemption from 10CFR50 Requirements Re Conversion from High Enriched to Low Enriched U Fuel for Cintichem,Inc. Cintichem Produces Over 50% of Mo-99 in Us & Is Only Domestic Supplier of Several Vital Radioactive Drugs

ML20209E341
Person / Time
Site:	05000054
Issue date:	04/27/1987
From:	Dworkin H SOCIETY OF NUCLEAR MEDICINE
To:	Dosa J Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation
References
NUDOCS 8704300027
Download: ML20209E341 (1)

Text

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THE SOCIETY OF N UCLEAR MEDICIN E 136 Madison Avenue / New York, NY 10016-6784 / (212) 889-0717 / Telex: 6502957177 W

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,, w U.S. Regulatory Commission "1",, "'""' "$"'," " Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulations Division of PWR Licensing - B ,

Ru hard A H,,lmes. Mo Standardization and Special Proj,ects Directorate

"^,."w*,'"*""" Washington, D.C. 20555 Naomi Alwakt Mo ATTENTION: Mr. John J. Dosa, wuc~ Project Manager i,

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REFERENCE:

DOCKET 50-54

,,,,,,,,,, The Society of Nuclear Medicine supports an exemption for g ["gtg MD Cintichem, Incorporated from the regulation 10 CFR 50, which I requires all research reactors to convert from highly l."$"Ul,.7uo enriched uranium fuel to low enriched fuel, o.mo, oa,,,,

At the present time, Cintichem is the only American supplier E.Ml

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nmo of molybdenum-99 used for technetium-99m generators in the United States. They produce over 50% of the molybdenum-99 now employed for medical purposes in the United States.

InNUN '" Requiring them to go to low enriched uranium fuel would put u.,,,,,,,,,,m.,,,,,,,, them at a clear disadvantage with Canadian and European uoed c ut uo w.u,me oc suppliers. In addition, if the change is made to low enriched uranium fuel, it will not be possible f or them to U,'i 'JT"~ Ilk"~ia meet peak needs for molybdenum-99, since they are at very

"~um r- near capacity production now. In addition, the neutron

. n. spectrum used in the reactor will be altered, possibly

'd,L"21 C"d' producing lower quality molybdenum-99, and will certainly require a requalification of the product produced f rom the

! reactor.

Since Cintichem is the only U.S. source of several vital radioactive drugs that are essential to nuclear medicine, and since changes in the uranium fuel would markedly disadvantage Cintichem, we feel that an exemption should be granted.

1 Materials now supplied by Cintichem are used widely i throughout the United States, providing significant diagnostic and therapeutic procedures for many patients. We l feel it would be unwise to uneccesarily jeopardize this i primary source of nuclear medicine radioactive materials.

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