CHALK RIVER, Ontario, Dec. 13 (UPI) -- A Canadian nuclear reactor that provides more than half of the world's medical isotopes is being restarted, officials said Thursday.
The plant in Chalk River, Ont., had been shut down since Nov. 18 because of safety concerns, WestCan News Service reported, causing shortages of the material used in scans and imaging tests used to diagnose cancers, heart conditions, and examine fractures.
Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd. said it had "initiated procedures to restart" the reactor and expects it will be producing medical isotopes within seven or eight days.
The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission had ordered the 50-year-old facility closed because its emergency power system was disconnected from cooling pumps, a requirement to prevent overheating in event of a disaster such as an earthquake.
But the federal government bypassed the regulatory body's order by fast-tracking an emergency bill allowing Atomic Energy, which owns the plant, to restart the reactor for 120 days. That move didn't sit well with environmentalists, who accused the government of setting a dangerous precedent.
