Testimonials made during the second part of a Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission hearing on the renewal of AECL’s operating licence for its Chalk River Laboratories.

“We are confident that AECL takes their role very seriously in ensuring that public safety and the environment are not compromised and we know that they have the experience and ability to deal with issues as they may occur from time to time. However, what is truly relevant is that they understand they are accountable to their surrounding communities and they will not put business before safety.”

“... they are open, transparent, concerned. They continue to provide nuclear medicine to the world. Its international reputation for clarity; excellent business acumen makes AECL truly ambassadors for Canada.”

Mayor Ed Jacyno, City of Pembroke, Ontario

“Nuclear medicine procedures are common. We perform about four and half thousand procedures every day in Canada; something over one million procedures a year in this country, about 12 million procedures in North America and between 20 and 25 million procedures every year worldwide. So this involves a very large number of patients.

In Canada, approximately 90 per cent of all diagnostic nuclear medicine procedures require molybdenum-99 from NRU (National Research Universal). You could say that almost all nuclear medicine treatments performed in Canada use NRU products. This is absolutely critical to the care of my patients and to the patients of my clinical colleagues.”

“…the contribution of NRU to the practice of medicine is enormous and, indeed, without the contribution of NRU, nuclear medicine on this continent certainly would not exist.”

Dr. Alexander McEwan, Past President of the Canadian Society of Nuclear Medicine and President Elect of the Society of Nuclear Medicine in the United States

“…we are very confident that AECL is a good partner in our community in the County of Renfrew. They have been open and honest with us. They are seeking out additional opportunities to meet our needs as political and elected officials to make sure that our communities are safe and they look for opportunities as well to help us with our economic development.”

Mayor Ann Aikens, County of Renfrew, Ontario