The Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) and the Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) distributed free potassium iodine tablets to those citizens who live or work within a radius of 10 miles from Salem/Hope Creek Nuclear Generating Stations. This comes as a preventive measure in the case of a nuclear emergency, as a way to protect the thyroid gland from radioactive iodine while more severe steps are taken toward public safeguard.
The compost, shortened KI, has been successfully studied and experienced on different countries with nuclear power, such as France, Finland, Switzerland and Canada. What it does is fill up the thyroid gland with a safe form of iodine, preventing radioactivity to be inhaled or ingested. This would serve as an inside protection in the event of a radioactive accident, and it is most effective when used prior to a nuclear disaster or at the moment it happens.
In the event of a radiation emergency, Delaware authorities would communicate to residents through the use of Emergency Alert Systems (EAS) and provide instructions on how to proceed and when to take the KI tablets.
The iodine pills are one of the measures encompassed in Delaware's radiation safety program, as well as the state's contingency plans in the case of a mild or strong disaster. These would serve as a preventive measure, but in a worst-case scenario, authorities recommend the zone to be evacuated or at least the citizens to shelter themselves.
Residents of the area were sent an informational mailing last May, which specified the guidelines on distribution efforts of the tablets. Eligible citizens were asked to bring these flyers to KI distribution centers, as well as a photo identification (such as a driver's license) and a proof of residence (like an utility bill). The last distribution date was on August 28, and the pills will expire in five years; come that time, residents are advised to bring the unused recipients to pick up new tablets.
