Keep Us Strong WikiLeaks logo

Currently released so far... 97115 / 251,287

Articles

Browse latest releases

Browse by creation date

Browse by origin

A B C D F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W Y Z

Browse by tag

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
ETRD EAGR ETTC EAID ECON EFIN ECIN EINV ELAB EAIR ENRG EPET EWWT ECPS EIND EMIN ELTN EC ETMIN EUC EZ ET ELECTIONS ENVR EU EUN EG EINT ER ECONOMICS ES EMS ENIV EEB EN ECE ECOSOC EK ENVIRONMENT EFIS EI EWT ENGRD ECPSN EXIM EIAD ERIN ECPC EDEV ENGY ECTRD EPA ESTH ECCT EINVECON ENGR ERTD EUR EAP EWWC ELTD EL EXIMOPIC EXTERNAL ETRDEC ESCAP ECO EGAD ELNT ECONOMIC ENV ETRN EIAR EUMEM ENRGPARMOTRASENVKGHGPGOVECONTSPLEAID EREL ECOM ECONETRDEAGRJA ETCC ETRG ECONOMY EMED ETR ENERG EITC EFINOECD EURM EENG ERA EXPORT ENRD ECONEINVETRDEFINELABETRDKTDBPGOVOPIC EGEN EBRD EVIN ETRAD ECOWAS EFTA ECONETRDBESPAR EGOVSY EPIN EID ECONENRG EDRC ESENV ETT EB ENER ELTNSNAR ECHEVARRIA ETRC EPIT EDUC ESA EFI ENRGY ESCI EE EAIDXMXAXBXFFR EETC ECIP EIAID EIVN EBEXP ESTN EING EGOV ETRA EPETEIND ELAN ETRDGK EAIDRW ETRDEINVECINPGOVCS EPEC ENVI ELN EAG EPCS EPRT EPTED ETRB EUM EAIDS EFIC EFINECONEAIDUNGAGM EAIDAR ESF EIDN ELAM EDU EV EAIDAF ECN EDA EXBS EINTECPS ENRGTRGYETRDBEXPBTIOSZ EPREL EAC EINVEFIN ETA EAGER EINDIR ECA ECLAC ELAP EITI EUCOM ECONEFINETRDPGOVEAGRPTERKTFNKCRMEAID EARG ELDIN EINVKSCA ENNP EFINECONCS EFINTS ECCP ETC EAIRASECCASCID EINN ETRP EAIDNI EFQ ECOQKPKO EGPHUM EBUD ECONEINVEFINPGOVIZ ENERGY ELB EINDETRD EMI ECONEFIN EIB EURN ETRDEINVTINTCS EIN EFIM ETIO ELAINE EMN EATO EWTR EIPR EINVETC ETTD ETDR EIQ ECONCS EPPD ENRGIZ EISL ESPINOSA ELEC EAIG ESLCO EUREM ENTG ERD EINVECONSENVCSJA EEPET EUNCH ECINECONCS ETRO ETRDECONWTOCS ECUN EFND EPECO EAIRECONRP ERGR ETRDPGOV ECPN ENRGMO EPWR EET EAIS EAGRE EDUARDO EAGRRP EAIDPHUMPRELUG EICN ECONQH EVN EGHG ELBR EINF EAIDHO EENV ETEX ERNG ED
KMDR KPAO KPKO KJUS KCRM KGHG KFRD KWMN KDEM KTFN KHIV KGIC KIDE KSCA KNNP KHUM KIPR KSUM KISL KIRF KCOR KRCM KPAL KWBG KN KS KOMC KSEP KFLU KPWR KTIA KSEO KMPI KHLS KICC KSTH KMCA KVPR KPRM KE KU KZ KFLO KSAF KTIP KTEX KBCT KOCI KOLY KOR KAWC KACT KUNR KTDB KSTC KLIG KSKN KNN KCFE KCIP KGHA KHDP KPOW KUNC KDRL KV KPREL KCRS KPOL KRVC KRIM KGIT KWIR KT KIRC KOMO KRFD KUWAIT KG KFIN KSCI KTFIN KFTN KGOV KPRV KSAC KGIV KCRIM KPIR KSOC KBIO KW KGLB KMWN KPO KFSC KSEAO KSTCPL KSI KPRP KREC KFPC KUNH KCSA KMRS KNDP KR KICCPUR KPPAO KCSY KTBT KCIS KNEP KFRDCVISCMGTCASCKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KNNB KGCC KINR KPOP KMFO KENV KNAR KVIR KDRG KDMR KFCE KNAO KDEN KGCN KICA KIMMITT KMCC KLFU KMSG KSEC KUM KCUL KMNP KSMT KCOM KOMCSG KSPR KPMI KRAD KIND KCRP KAUST KWAWC KTER KCHG KRDP KPAS KITA KTSC KPAOPREL KWGB KIRP KJUST KMIG KLAB KTFR KSEI KSTT KAPO KSTS KLSO KWNN KPOA KHSA KNPP KPAONZ KBTS KWWW KY KJRE KPAOKMDRKE KCRCM KSCS KWMNCI KESO KWUN KPLS KIIP KEDEM KPAOY KRIF KGICKS KREF KTRD KFRDSOCIRO KTAO KJU KWMNPHUMPRELKPAOZW KEN KO KNEI KEMR KKIV KEAI KWAC KRCIM KWCI KFIU KWIC KCORR KOMS KNNO KPAI KBWG KTTB KTBD KTIALG KILS KFEM KTDM KESS KNUC KPA KOMCCO KCEM KRCS KWBGSY KNPPIS KNNPMNUC KWN KERG KLTN KALM KCCP KSUMPHUM KREL KGH KLIP KTLA KAWK KWMM KVRP KVRC KAID KSLG KDEMK KX KIF KNPR KCFC KFTFN KTFM KPDD KCERS KMOC KDEMAF KMEPI KEMS KDRM KEPREL KBTR KEDU KNP KIRL KNNR KMPT KISLPINR KTPN KA KJUSTH KPIN KDEV KTDD KAKA KFRP KWNM KTSD KINL KJUSKUNR KWWMN KECF KWBC KPRO KVBL KOM KFRDKIRFCVISCMGTKOCIASECPHUMSMIGEG KEDM KFLD KLPM KRGY KNNF KICR KIFR KM KWMNCS KAWS KLAP KPAK KDDG KCGC KID KNSD KMPF KPFO KDP KCMR KRMS KNPT KNNNP KTIAPARM KDTB KNUP KPGOV KNAP KNNC KUK KSRE KREISLER KIVP KQ KTIAEUN KPALAOIS KRM KISLAO KWM KFLOA
PHUM PINR PTER PGOV PREL PREF PL PM PHSA PE PARM PINS PK PUNE PO PALESTINIAN PU PBTS PROP PTBS POL POLI PA PGOVZI POLMIL POLITICAL PARTIES POLM PD POLITICS POLICY PAS PMIL PINT PNAT PV PKO PPOL PERSONS PING PBIO PH PETR PARMS PRES PCON PETERS PRELBR PT PLAB PP PAK PDEM PKPA PSOCI PF PLO PTERM PJUS PSOE PELOSI PROPERTY PGOVPREL PARP PRL PNIR PHUMKPAL PG PREZ PGIC PBOV PAO PKK PROV PHSAK PHUMPREL PROTECTION PGOVBL PSI PRELPK PGOVENRG PUM PRELKPKO PATTY PSOC PRIVATIZATION PRELSP PGOVEAIDUKNOSWGMHUCANLLHFRSPITNZ PMIG PREC PAIGH PROG PSHA PARK PETER POG PHUS PPREL PS PTERPREL PRELPGOV POV PKPO PGOVECON POUS PGOVPRELPHUMPREFSMIGELABEAIDKCRMKWMN PWBG PMAR PREM PAR PNR PRELPGOVEAIDECONEINVBEXPSCULOIIPBTIO PARMIR PGOVGM PHUH PARTM PN PRE PTE PY POLUN PPEL PDOV PGOVSOCI PIRF PGOVPM PBST PRELEVU PGOR PBTSRU PRM PRELKPAOIZ PGVO PERL PGOC PAGR PMIN PHUMR PVIP PPD PGV PRAM PINL PKPAL PTERE PGOF PINO PHAS PODC PRHUM PHUMA PREO PPA PEPFAR PGO PRGOV PAC PRESL PORG PKFK PEPR PRELP PREFA PNG PGOVPHUMKPAO PRELECON PINOCHET PFOR PGOVLO PHUMBA PRELC PREK PHUME PHJM POLINT PGOVPZ PGOVKCRM PGOVE PHALANAGE PARTY PECON PEACE PROCESS PLN PRELSW PAHO PEDRO PRELA PASS PPAO PGPV PNUM PCUL PGGV PSA PGOVSMIGKCRMKWMNPHUMCVISKFRDCA PGIV PRFE POGOV PEL PBT PAMQ PINF PSEPC POSTS PHUMPGOV PVOV PHSAPREL PROLIFERATION PENA PRELTBIOBA PIN PRELL PGOVPTER PHAM PHYTRP PTEL PTERPGOV PHARM PROTESTS PRELAF PKBL PRELKPAO PKNP PARMP PHUML PFOV PERM PUOS PRELGOV PHUMPTER PARAGRAPH PERURENA PBTSEWWT PCI PETROL PINSO PINSCE PQL PEREZ PBS

Browse by classification

Community resources

courage is contagious

Viewing cable 07OTTAWA2255, CRITICAL MEDICAL RADIOISOTOPE PRODUCTION MAY

If you are new to these pages, please read an introduction on the structure of a cable as well as how to discuss them with others. See also the FAQs

Understanding cables
Every cable message consists of three parts:
  • The top box shows each cables unique reference number, when and by whom it originally was sent, and what its initial classification was.
  • The middle box contains the header information that is associated with the cable. It includes information about the receiver(s) as well as a general subject.
  • The bottom box presents the body of the cable. The opening can contain a more specific subject, references to other cables (browse by origin to find them) or additional comment. This is followed by the main contents of the cable: a summary, a collection of specific topics and a comment section.
To understand the justification used for the classification of each cable, please use this WikiSource article as reference.

Discussing cables
If you find meaningful or important information in a cable, please link directly to its unique reference number. Linking to a specific paragraph in the body of a cable is also possible by copying the appropriate link (to be found at theparagraph symbol). Please mark messages for social networking services like Twitter with the hash tags #cablegate and a hash containing the reference ID e.g. #07OTTAWA2255.
Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
07OTTAWA2255 2007-12-12 21:45 2011-04-28 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Ottawa
VZCZCXRO0249
PP RUEHGA RUEHHA RUEHQU RUEHVC
DE RUEHOT #2255/01 3462145
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 122145Z DEC 07
FM AMEMBASSY OTTAWA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7025
INFO RUCNCAN/ALL CANADIAN POSTS COLLECTIVE
RUEHBS/AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS 0717
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0977
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 0289
RUEHTC/AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE 3465
RUEAUSA/DEPT OF HHS WASHDC
RHEBAAA/DEPT OF ENERGY WASHDC
UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 OTTAWA 002255 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE FOR WHA, OES AND ISN 
HHS FOR OFFICE OF GLOBAL HEALTH AFFAIRS 
DOE FOR NE 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: TBIO ECON KSCA CA
SUBJECT: CRITICAL MEDICAL RADIOISOTOPE PRODUCTION MAY 
RESUME SOON 
 
1. (U) Summary: In the face of a growing shortage of medical 
radioisotopes, the Canadian House of Commons passed emergency 
legislation late on December 11 to exempt the nuclear reactor 
where much of the world's supply of medical radioisotopes is 
produced from regulatory oversight (for a very narrow 
exception) for 120 days in order to facilitate a rapid 
restart of the reactor and resumed production of medical 
radioisotopes.  Once the legislation passes through the 
Senate, expected later today (December 12), and it receives 
Royal Assent, perhaps by the end of this week, reactor 
operator Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) will commence 
restarting the reactor, which has been shut down since 
November 18.  Barring unforeseen events, AECL anticipates it 
will take several days to ramp up to normal operations and 
several days after that before the medical radioisotope 
supply chain can return to normal.  End summary. 
 
2. (U) On the evening of December 11, in the face of a 
growing shortage of radioisotopes for medical use, the 
Conservative government introduced and then pushed through 
the House of Commons emergency legislation, Bill C-38, that 
would allow Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL), the 
operator of the 50 year-old National Research Universal 
reactor at Chalk River, Ontario, to resume operations and 
radioisotope production without complying with nuclear 
regulator Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) orders to 
modify and upgrade certain of its components.  Essentially 
the bill removes CNSC oversight for 120 days for this 
specific aspect of AECL's operations.  In addition to its 
Chalk River laboratory, AECL also operates a variety of other 
atomic facilities, such as nuclear waste sites, throughout 
Canada.  Presently a Crown Corporation whose privatization 
has been discussed, AECL is the designer and builder of CANDU 
technology. 
 
3. (U) The NRU was shut down for routine maintenance on 
November 18, at which time CNSC inspectors became aware that 
modifications to the reactor's cooling system called for in 
an August 2006 licensing review had not been installed, and 
notified AECL that they were not in compliance with the NRU 
operating license and could not therefore restart the 
reactor.  AECL of course complied with the CNSC order to not 
restart the reactor, but claimed the modifications were 
upgrades, not mission critical, and could be accomplished 
over a longer period of time during regular maintenance. 
AECL claimed it could continue to operate the NRU safely 
without complete installation of the additional equipment, at 
least as an interim measure.  The impasse between the 
regulator and AECL has extended NRU's scheduled shutdown from 
one week to over three weeks, at this point, and global 
supplies of critical medical radioisotopes have dwindled. 
Since only four other reactors around the world (one each in 
France, Belgium, South Africa, and the Netherlands) produce 
these basic radioisotopes, many of which have half-lives 
measured in hours, any unplanned reactor shutdown quickly 
leads to supply disruption.  The NRU alone accounts for about 
50 percent of global supply of molybdenum-90 the source of 
technetium-99m, the most widely used isotope for diagnosing 
disease. 
 
4. (U) On December 11 in the House of Commons Prime Minister 
Q4. (U) On December 11 in the House of Commons Prime Minister 
Harper noted the shortage of medical radioisotopes presented 
a very clear danger to hundreds if not thousands of people 
around the world, whereas the risk to be mitigated by the 
CNSC-mandated upgrades was significantly more remote and less 
certain.  The Bloc Quebecois and New Democratic Party 
supported the measure immediately, but the Liberal Party fell 
in line, and by 11:30 pm Bill C-38 had passed with all party 
support through all three stages of debate in the House of 
Commons.  It now will go to the Senate, where the government 
believes it will also pass quickly.  The government 
anticipates the bill could receive Royal Assent by Thursday, 
December 13.  (In fact, we've heard reports the government 
leader in the Senate thought she would receive the bill from 
the Commons last night and had maintained a quorum until it 
became clear the House would not be able to conclude its 
business until near midnight.) 
 
5. (U) Once Royal Assent is received, making Bill C-38 law, 
CNSC's authority and licensing conditions in this matter will 
 
OTTAWA 00002255  002 OF 002 
 
 
be suspended for 120 days, and AECL can begin to restart the 
reactor, which may take several days.  AECL and CNSC will 
nevertheless be working closely together during this 120 day 
period.  Government relations executives for MDS Nordion, the 
company that actually refines and processes the medical 
radioisotopes from NRU, told embassy the company will only be 
able to estimate when the medical radioisotope supply chain 
will return to normal once reactor operations have 
recommenced successfully.  AECL had earlier said it could not 
return NRU to service before December 20 if had to comply 
with all of the upgrades mandated by CNSC. 
 
6. (SBU) Comment: Canada,s nuclear regulator, the CNSC, was 
only formed in 2000 from the former Atomic Energy Control 
Board (AECB).  Where AECB had non-proliferation as its 
primary focus, CNSC has as its principal mandate to "protect 
people and the environment from licensed sources of man-made 
radiation resulting from the use of nuclear energy and 
materials".  Given this focus on human health and safety some 
observers have commented that it is odd that the regulator 
may not have anticipated that an extended shutdown of NRU 
would have immediate and far-reaching health impacts 
downstream.  While these second-order health effects may not 
formally be the concern of the regulator, CNSC's decision on 
this occasion suggests the capacity to assess the impact of 
its decisions more broadly may have been lacking. End comment. 
 
 
Visit our shared North American Partnership blog (Canada & Mexico) at 
http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/nap 
 
WILKINS