NRC issues SHINE facility environmental report

The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) announced on Wednesday that it has released the final environmental impact statement on a proposed medical radioisotope production facility that would be operated by SHINE Medical Technologies Inc.

Based on the findings of the NRC, the commission states that there is no reason to deny the licensing of the facility due to environmental concerns. Should technical and safety-related reports also find little or no issues, it is likely that the facility will be approved for construction.

The facility will be focusing on the production of molybdenum-99 and other radioisotopes that are utilized in the medical field for diagnostic and other purposes. The facility would be located in Janesville, Wisconsin, approximately 40 miles southeast of Madison. The company would need to submit a separate application once the facility is built in order to obtain its operating permit.

All facilities that will work with or manage radioactive and nuclear materials are required to obtain licenses from the NRC. For all facilities, evaluations of the proposed location's environmental impact of operation and decommissioning and their technical and safety are performed by the NRC.

The SHINE facility’s application was initiated in March and May of 2013 in two portions.