Public meeting planned for Thunder Bay cyclotron
"It's not like a nuclear power plant," director says of radioactive isotopes.
The research arm of the Health Sciences Centre in Thunder Bay wants to talk to residents and get feedback about its cyclotron project.
Cyclotrons make radioactive isotopes for medical imaging and research.
The Thunder Bay Regional Research Institute plans to have its machine online by the end of next year, said Mike Campbell, director of research operations.
He noted there will be questions about safety, but says a lot of controls will be in place.
"It’s not like a nuclear power plant," he said.
"You can flick a switch and turn it off. It's not a case that if there was a power failure that extra cooling or something like that's needed. They're actually fairly safe to run."
The cyclotron will be housed in a new building under construction on Oliver Road near the hospital.
It will be shielded by walls of concrete 2.5 metres thick.
"It's going to be very well contained," Campbell said.
Next month, the Research Institute will host a public information session. Gathering public feedback is part of the licensing requirements of the the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission.
"We've had tremendous support from Thunder Bay and the community of Northern Ontario in general, and we really want to make sure that people are comfortable with what we have planned, and that we're able to answer any questions that they might have," Campbell added.