Potassium Pills Forthcoming

Posted by: bacpacjac

Potassium Pills Forthcoming - 09/23/15 03:10 AM

Just a thought to share...

I've lived in the same house, with the same two nuclear power plants next door, for 11 years. Today we received in the mail, from a BIG local municipal government - not our local municipal government, mind you - notification that we will now be issued potassium pills in case of a nuclear accident. We should expect to receive them in the coming weeks.

Increased safety or increased risk? No further information provided. No "What to do if..." pamphlet. No 72 Hours promo. No "Here's what's changed." Just expect to receive your household pills soon. Weird.

Reminds me to add to our water supply, buy some more canned goods and check all the batteries. wink
Posted by: UTAlumnus

Re: Potassium Pills Forthcoming - 09/23/15 04:00 AM

Call them up & ask? It's what I'd do if one of the local gov's finally managed to get that far off dead center.
Posted by: dougwalkabout

Re: Potassium Pills Forthcoming - 09/23/15 04:54 AM

I'm guessing potassium iodide? Probably a prudent public health measure against a worst case scenario. If I lived next to that sort of station I'd have some around. We live in interesting times, after all.

To keep some perspective, though, I'd bet that it's a lot more dangerous to drive to the store for milk once a week than to live beside those stations.
Posted by: Tjin

Re: Potassium Pills Forthcoming - 09/23/15 06:48 AM

Possible reasons:
- Not enough space in storage. (If the stocks are only for the locals and not stored for national/international support, than you might as well put it in people houses, instead of taking up storage space.)
- Not enough distribution speed when they are needed (if they are needed, availible manpower will be a limited).
- People asking for them.
Posted by: Ian

Re: Potassium Pills Forthcoming - 09/23/15 07:44 AM

Almost certainly to speed up distribution.

Here is the PORTSAFE plan for the release of material from a nuclear submarine in Portsmouth harbour. Similar plans exist for all possible nuclear releases.

PORTSAFE PDF

See Annex A page 118 for distribution of Potassium Iodide tablets.
Posted by: bacpacjac

Re: Potassium Pills Forthcoming - 09/24/15 12:04 AM

It hit mailboxes yesterday and the news today. It's just a new safety regulation, apparently.

http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2014/...wer_plants.html