Free Potassium Iodine Tablets To Be Handed Out To Residents, Workers Within 10 Miles Of Del. Nuclear Plant
SMYRNA, Del. (CBS) – Delawareans who live or work near the Salem/Hope Creek Nuclear Generating Stations can pick up potassium iodide (KI) tablets for free at two locations this summer.
The new KI tablets will replace previous tablets handed out in the area that expire beginning in September 2014 and are available at the Volunteer Hose Fire Company in Middletown on July 31st (noon to 8 p.m.) and at the Appoquinimink State Service Center in Middletown on Aug. 28 (from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.).
According to the Del. Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) and the Del. Division of Public Health (DPH), the tablets are offered as part of a program initiated by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission. While the KI tablets won't protect against external radiation, they can help protect the thyroid from radioactive iodine that may be released during a radiation emergency.
For additional information on the program in Delaware, residents can contact the Delaware Emergency Management Agency Radiological Emergency Planning section at 302-659-3362.