LETTERS FROM THE PRESIDENT'S SCIENCE ADVISOR TO

UNCLAS STATE 113758 SENSITIVE C O R R E C T E D C O P Y (SENSITIVE CAPTION ADDED) SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: TRGY TBIO AS FR GM SF SUBJECT: LETTERS FROM THE PRESIDENT'S SCIENCE ADVISOR TO KEY COUNTRIES PRODUCING THE MEDICAL ISOTOPE MO-99 Sensitive but unclassified - please protect accordingly. ¶1. (U) This is an action request for Posts Canberra, Paris, Berlin, and Pretoria. See paragraph 4. -------------- SUMMARY -------------- ¶2. (U) The United States imports all of its Mo-99 (a key medical isotope) from foreign suppliers, but there is currently a worldwide shortage due to various nuclear research-reactor shutdowns. Various international organizations are now actively focusing on this issue, including the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development,s Nuclear Energy Agency (OECD/NEA) in Paris and the IAEA. In addition to those efforts, the USG would like to reach out to several of the supplier countries in particular to ask for their collaboration in working to maximize Mo-99 production during 2010 and find means to ensure the stable supply of this important medical isotope in the longer run as well. Letters from the President's Science Advisor are included in paragraphs 6, 7, 8 and 9 for delivery by each of the action posts to appropriate Ministers, at Posts' earliest opportunity. END SUMMARY. -------------- Background -------------- ¶3. (U) Technetium-99 metastable (Tc-99m) is a crucial radioisotope produced from the decay of the medical isotope molybdenum-99 (Mo-99). It is used in about 100,000 nuclear diagnostic procedures daily around the globe, including heart disease and cancer diagnosis, and studies of organ structure and function. Global supply of Mo-99 is generated primarily from the irradiation of enriched-uranium targets in five research reactors around the world. The two largest of those reactors, the National Research Universal (NRU) reactor in Canada and the High Flux Reactor (HFR) in The Netherlands, have experienced technical difficulties over the past two years, including a heavy water leak in the main containment vessel of the NRU which has required the shutdown of the facility until at least the first quarter of 2010. The HFR will be experiencing a four-to-six month maintenance shutdown during the first quarter of 2010. These problems have resulted in severe global Mo-99 supply shortages with serious consequences for the medical community. OECD/NEA, with U.S. support from DOE/NNSA's GTRI program, is now engaging with supplier states and others to address this issue, including the OECD/NEA's High Level Group on the Security and Supply of Medical Radioisotopes (HLG-MR). In addition to these international coordinating efforts, the USG wishes to encourage the adoption of certain mitigating measures, especially in CY 2010. -------------- ACTION REQUESTS -------------- ¶4. (SBU) For Canberra: Post is requested to deliver the letter in paragraph 6 to the Australian Minister of Resources and Energy. For Paris: Post is requested to deliver the letter in paragraph 7 to the Chairman of the Commissariat l'nergie Atomique (CEA). For Berlin: Post is requested to deliver the letter in paragraph 8 to the appropriate Minister of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, and Nuclear Safety. For Pretoria: Post is requested to deliver the letter in paragraph 9 to the Minister of Energy. In each case, the nonpaper at paragraph 5 should be included with the delivery and may be drawn on for points if in-person delivery is possible or appropriate. In addition, a courtesy copy of the letter and nonpaper may be sent to appropriate senior staff member(s) in the identified ministry and, if embassy judges appropriate, to senior staff in any other directly-involved agency or organization. Please report the results of your engagement and any preliminary reactions by November 9, slugging response to Dept of Energy Washington DC and to ISN/NESS. -------------- NONPAPER -------------- ¶5. (U) BEGIN TEXT OF NONPAPER CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING EXPECTED SHORTAGES OF MOLYBDENUM-99 IN 2010 The decay product technetium-99 metastable ("Tc-99m") of the medical isotope molybdenum-99 (Mo-99) is a crucial radioisotope used in approximately 80% of roughly 100,000 nuclear diagnostic medical procedures performed around the globe every day. Its primary uses include diagnosing heart disease, studying organ structure and function, and as a diagnostic in cancer treatment. Tc-99m's very short half-life (6 hours) and excellent binding properties make it uniquely suited for a large variety of medical procedures. However, the half-life of parent isotope, Mo-99, is also short (66 hours),making it impossible to stockpile and requiring the nuclear isotope to be produced on a nearly continuous basis. The world's supply of Mo-99 is generated primarily from the irradiation of enriched-uranium targets in only five research reactors around the world. They are the National Research Universal (NRU) reactor in Canada, the High Flux Reactor (HFR) in The Netherlands, the BR2 reactor in Belgium, the OSIRIS reactor in France, and the SAFARI-1 reactor in South Africa. The world's two largest production reactors, the NRU and HFR, have experienced technical difficulties and shutdowns over the past two years that have caused severe global Mo-99 supply shortages and serious impacts to the global medical community. During periods of shortage, an estimated 85 percent of U.S. medical facilities have been forced to ration and cancel many critical diagnostic treatments. On May 14, 2009, the volatility of the Mo-99 supply was further exacerbated when a heavy water leak in the main containment vessel of the NRU reactor was discovered, requiring the shutdown of the facility for an extended period of time that continues today. Despite intensive efforts to restore production, it was announced in August 2009 that the reactor will not resume operations earlier than the first quarter of calendar year 2010. In addition, the HFR reactor will be experiencing a four-to-six month maintenance shutdown to repair a corrosion problem in its primary cooling system. This necessary outage is scheduled to begin no later than March 1, 2010. If the NRU is unable to resume operations by that time, the availability of this important medical isotope will hit critically low levels. The Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development,s Nuclear Energy Agency hosts a High Level Working Group on the Security of Supply of Medical Radioisotopes (OECD-NEA HLG-MR). This international working group seeks to engage commercial producers and industry groups to promote efficient coordination and management of the production and use of Mo-99. The United States and each of the countries in this cable are members of the OECD-NEA HLG-MR. At the facility level, existing large-scale global producers of Mo-99 in Belgium, France, and South Africa have also been working to coordinate their operating schedules and increase production plans to help mitigate the expected supply shortages. If coordination is successful, it will help to lessen the impact of the expected shortfall, particularly if the NRU is unable to resume operations in 2010. Nevertheless, the supply availability even under the most optimized production schedules among the remaining global producers is still expected to be no greater than 50 percent of normal. Crucial medical diagnostic procedures all over the world will be canceled, delayed, or prescribed using often less-effective alternative diagnostic procedures. One option that has already been raised informally in international discussions to help bolster the production of nuclear medical isotopes during the 2010 shortage would be to delay the routine five-to-six month maintenance shutdown of the OSIRIS reactor in France as long as possible. An additional alternative would be to utilize the MARIA research reactor in Poland for irradiation of targets, ship the targets through Germany, and process the targets in Belgian facilities to extract the Mo-99 for distribution. Each of these options, if combined with the remaining global producers, optimizing their respective operating schedules, could significantly reduce the expected supply shortage of this critical medical isotope in 2010. END TEXT OF NONPAPER -------------- LETTERS FROM THE PRESIDENT'S SCIENCE ADVISOR -------------- ¶6. (SBU) BEGIN TEXT OF LETTER TO AUSTRALIA The United States would like to recognize and thank the Australian government for demonstrating a commitment to ensure the stability and increased availability of the global supply of the critical medical isotope molybdenum-99 (Mo-99). The United States is concerned about the supply of Mo-99 during the impending four-to-six-month maintenance shutdown of the HFR reactor in The Netherlands and the still-uncertain restart of the NRU reactor in Canada. Beginning in March 2010, the world's supply of this important isotope is expected to be drastically reduced unless other global suppliers are able to increase their production levels. Currently in the final stages of commissioning, the OPAL facility, operated by the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO),will be one of the few additional sources of Mo-99 available to the world. The United States fully supports the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development,s Nuclear Energy Agency (OECD-NEA) and its efforts to engage commercial producers and industry groups internationally in promoting efficient coordination and management of Mo-99 production and use through its High Level Working Group on the Security of Supply of Medical Radioisotopes (HLG-MR). As a participating member of the OECD-NEA HLG-MR, Australia is to be commended for demonstrating a strong commitment to securing the supply of this important medical isotope. To help facilitate these efforts, I would like to request your assistance in ensuring that regulatory approvals for the OPAL facility will be completed as quickly as is safely possible, in order to expedite ANSTO's ability to export Mo-99 into the global market. ANSTO's contribution, in coordination with the other key suppliers, to maximize the production of Mo-99 during 2010 would help to ensure the availability of this critical medical isotope. The medical diagnostics of millions of people around the world depend on the coordinated operation of the few available Mo-99 producing facilities, including the Australian OPAL facility. Sincerely, John P. Holdren Director Office of Science and Technology Policy Executive Office of the President of the United States END TEXT OF LETTER TO AUSTRALIA ¶7. (SBU) BEGIN TEXT OF LETTER TO FRANCE The United States would like to recognize and thank the Commissariat l'nergie Atomique (CEA) for demonstrating a commitment to the stable supply of the medical isotope molybdenum-99 (Mo-99). The United States is concerned about the supply of Mo-99 during the impending four-to-six-month maintenance shutdown of the HFR reactor in Petten, The Netherlands, and the still-uncertain restart of the NRU reactor in Canada. Beginning in March 2010, the world's supply of this important isotope is expected to be drastically reduced unless other existing global suppliers are able to increase, or at least maintain, production during this time. Mo-99 from the OSIRIS reactor is one of the few remaining sources available to the world. The United States fully supports the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development,s Nuclear Energy Agency (OECD-NEA) and its efforts to engage commercial producers and industry groups internationally in promoting efficient coordination and management of Mo-99 production and use through its High Level Working Group on the Security of Supply of Medical Radioisotopes (HLG-MR). As a participating member of the OECD-NEA HLG-MR, France is to be commended for demonstrating a strong commitment to securing the supply of this important medical isotope. To help facilitate these efforts, I would like to request your assistance in ensuring that the OSIRIS facility will remain in operation as much as possible to produce Mo-99 during 2010. Although I understand that this facility is scheduled to shut down for routine maintenance or upgrades beginning in April 2010, I would like to know whether this shutdown could be safely delayed in consideration of the important medical service that this facility provides to the global community. The medical diagnostics of millions of people around the world will depend on the coordinated operation of the few available Mo-99 production facilities, including the OSIRIS reactor. Sincerely, John P. Holdren Director Office of Science and Technology Policy Executive Office of the President of the United States END TEXT OF LETTER TO FRANCE ¶8. (SBU) BEGIN TEXT OF LETTER TO GERMANY The United States and the world depend primarily on the operation of five nuclear reactors for the production of molybdenum-99 (Mo-99),a critical medical isotope used in approximately 100,000 nuclear medical diagnostic procedures every day around the globe. To ensure the stable supply of Mo-99, the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development,s Nuclear Energy Agency (OECD-NEA) has been working to engage commercial producers and industry groups internationally in promoting efficient coordination and management of Mo-99 production and use through its High Level Working Group on the Security of Supply of Medical Radioisotopes (HLG-MR). The United States fully support the OECD-NEA and its HLG-MR efforts. As a new participant member of the OECD-NEA HLG-MR, Germany is to be commended for demonstrating a strong commitment to securing the supply of this important medical isotope. The United States is concerned about the supply of Mo-99 during the impending four-to-six-month maintenance shutdown of the HFR reactor in The Netherlands, and the still-uncertain restart of the NRU reactor in Canada. Beginning in March 2010, the world's supply of this important isotope is expected to be drastically reduced unless other existing global suppliers can find alternative means of production during this time. One promising alternative to produce Mo-99 during this expected shortage is to utilize the MARIA reactor in Poland to irradiate the targets used to manufacture this isotope, and subsequently the processing facilities in Belgium to provide a supply to the world's medical community. This option would require the transit of irradiated targets through Germany. If this alternative could be implemented during the maintenance shutdown of the HFR reactor, the supply shortage of this critical medical isotope would be significantly reduced. I would like to request your assistance in working within your government to help secure the regulatory approval for the transit of such medical-isotope production targets through Germany for this purpose. If you would like to discuss these considerations further, I would be happy to arrange for a meeting among our respective government experts at a mutually convenient time. Sincerely, John P. Holdren Director Office of Science and Technology Policy Executive Office of the President of the United States END TEXT OF LETTER TO GERMANY ¶9. (SBU) BEGIN TEXT OF LETTER TO THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA The United States would like to recognize and thank the Republic of South Africa for demonstrating a commitment to ensure the stability and increased availability of the global supply of the critical medical isotope molybdenum-99 (Mo-99). The United States is concerned about the supply of Mo-99 during the impending four-to-six-month maintenance shutdown of the HFR reactor in The Netherlands and the still-uncertain restart of the NRU reactor in Canada. Beginning in March 2010, the world's supply of this important isotope is expected to be drastically reduced unless other existing global suppliers are able to increase, or at least maintain, their production levels. Mo-99 supplied by NTP Radioisotopes and produced from the SAFARI reactor, operated by the South African Nuclear Energy Corporation (NECSA),is one of the few sources available to the world. The United States fully supports the Organisation of Economic Co-operation and Development,s Nuclear Energy Agency (OECD-NEA) and its efforts to engage commercial producers and industry groups internationally in promoting efficient coordination and management of Mo-99 production and use through its High Level Working Group on the Security of Supply of Medical Radioisotopes (HLG-MR). As a participating member of the OECD-NEA HLG-MR, South Africa is to be commended for demonstrating a strong commitment to securing the supply of this important medical isotope. To help facilitate these efforts, I would like to request your assistance in ensuring that South Africa will continue to produce Mo-99 at an increased rate and will coordinate with the other key suppliers to maximize the production of Mo-99 during 2010. The medical diagnostics of millions of people around the world depend on the coordinated operation of the few remaining Mo-99 producing facilities, including the facility in South Africa. Sincerely, John P. Holdren Director Office of Science and Technology Policy Executive Office of the President of the United States END TEXT OF LETTER TO THE REPUBLIC OF SOUTH AFRICA -------------- POINTS OF CONTACT -------------- ¶10. (U) Department thanks all Posts for their assistance in this matter. Main points of contact for these efforts are: DOE/NNSA/NA-21 ) Dr. Parrish Staples (202-586-4042, Parrish.Staples@nnsa.doe.gov) and OSTP ) Dr. Tammy Taylor (202-456-6086, ttaylor@ostp.eop.gov). Department POCs are Dr. Dan Fenstermacher and Dr. Zaira Nazario (ISN/NESS, 202-647-2833, fensteda@state.gov, and 202-647-8829, nazariozd@state.gov). CLINTON