Nuclear Reactor’s licence renewed for seven more years

[img_inline align=”right” src=”http://padnws01.mcmaster.ca/images/Reactor_Core-02.jpg” caption=”The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission has renewed the McMaster Nuclear Reactor’s licence for seven years. File photo.”]The McMaster Nuclear Reactor (MNR) has been granted a licence renewal for seven years. The news arrived late Thursday afternoon from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.

It is the longest renewal period the reactor has received (previous renewals have been for five years), a fact, says Dave Tucker, senior health physicist of MNR, that speaks to the confidence the CNSC has in the operation of the reactor.


“[The license renewal] reflects two things,” says Tucker. “It illustrates the hard work of the people who work at MNR, and the commitment of McMaster's administration to give us the resources we need to do our job. We know the reactor is safe because we wouldn't be putting people in jeopardy if it wasn't.”

Tucker says staff at the reactor felt confident that the reactor would pass the CNSC's rigorous evaluation when he and MNR director Chris Heysel, along with McMaster president Peter George, appeared before the Commission in mid-May.

“We've always been confident of our safety and security performance,” he says. “That said, this isn't a slam dunk.”

He said opposition to the license renewal from a few interveners was taken very seriously, and staff worked especially hard to ensure that MNR's processes and procedures were of the highest standards.

“CNSC doesn't rubber-stamp renewals,” says Tucker. “Not all licence renewal applications are successful, so though we were confident, we weren't taking anything for granted. The Commission's findings prove that those criticisms of our operation are unfounded.”

The reactor is a large operation that is vital to teaching, research and industry. It's also vital to 125 cancer patients a day. Tucker is always proud to highlight the production of isotopes used for cancer treatment every day.

In addition, the reactor provides neutrons to researchers in Canada and around the world, and it provides a unique educational experience for university and high school students throughout southern Ontario.

The full report issued by CNSC can be found at here.