Issue Position: Addressing the Medical Isotope Crisis

Issue Position

In the US nuclear medicine is used for about 20 million diagnostic procedures each year. Of all the radioisotopes that are used in these procedures, 80% come from Molybdenum 99 (Mo-99). US nuclear reactors do not produce Mo-99. All of our medical isotopes have been imported.

The greatest problem with importing Mo-99 --other than that half of the useful radioactive material is wasted during transportation- is that the aging foreign reactors face continual maintenance problems or are shutting down. The supply for our demand is shrinking fast. A worldwide shortage of medical isotopes during 2009-2010 prompted the federal government to recognize the need for domestic production as a matter of national security.

Moly Production

Commendably, President Obama signed the American Medical Isotope Production Act into law, January 2, 2013. Currently, the Department of Energy and the National Nuclear Security Administration have established a technology-neutral program to support commercial production of Mo-99 without the use of weapons grade highly enriched uranium (HEU).

Liquid Fluoride Thorium Reactors (LFTRs) are small, safe, environmentally friendly, and proliferation resistant- no HEU. LFTR technology has a lot to offer Ohio, especially for our medical industry. A reliable, ample supply of isotopes made from LFTRs in Ohio not only has the potential to meet the US demand for nuclear diagnostic procedures; LFTRs will make isotopes available for research, the development of new treatments, and supply to the worldwide market.

I fully support the development of LFTR technology. Aside from becoming a prolific source of medical isotopes, the benefits from LFTR will be seen in jobs, manufacturing, and with some deregulation, lower energy costs in Ohio.

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