A one-week delay announced today into a key public hearing regarding the restart of the nuclear reactor at Chalk River Ontario.
The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) was to hold a hearing next Monday, but now Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) has asked for a one week delay until July 5.
No reason was given for the delay. The hearing was to allow for public comment.
Just this week in the latest update regarding repairs to the reactor, AECL said the reactor had been filled with water and there were no leaks.
Leaks of heavy water caused the rector to be shut down 13 months ago.
Twenty-four of the 35 systems associated with the reactor are already up and running, but the CNSC has to provide the final approval to put the reactor back into service and begin producing radioactive isotopes that are used around the world in key medical procedures.
CNSC staff have already filed reports stating that they are in favour of a full restart of the reactor as long as AECL does much more stringent monitoring of the reactor's operation and that the reactor will be shut down for one month every year for maintenance.
AECL also reported that there no indications that this week's earthquake had any effect on the reactor. AECL still maintains that isotope production will begin by the end of July.
