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TRENTON - Health,
Environmental Protection and State Police officials announced today
that a free one-day supply of potassium iodide pills will be available
for people who live or work within 10 miles of the state's four
nuclear generating stations - at public education and distribution
sessions beginning Saturday, July 13, 2002.
New
Jersey received free-of-charge a supply of 722,000 KI pills from
the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in April. The KI is being offered
as a preparedness measure and not in response to any imminent danger
or threat.
KI
is shown to be effective in preventing thyroid cancer in cases of
exposure to radioactive iodine. If taken before or shortly after
exposure, potassium iodide blocks the thyroid gland's ability to
absorb radioactive iodine.
"However,
KI is not a panacea. The pills do not protect the body from other
radiation-related injuries due to exposure and are only a supplement
to evacuation and sheltering, the primary modes of protection in
a radiological emergency," said Health and Senior Services
Commissioner Clifton R. Lacy, M.D.
Individuals
who wish to receive KI at one of the scheduled public education
and distribution sessions will be required to show identification
(such as a driver's license, property tax record, utility bill,
employee ID card, paycheck stub or letter from their employer) indicating
they reside or work in one of the towns within the 10-mile Emergency
Planning Zones (EPZs) around the state's nuclear generating stations.
The towns include Greenwich and Stow Creek in Cumberland County;
Elsinboro, Lower Alloways Creek, Mannington, Quinton, Pennsville
and Salem City in Salem County; and Barnegat, Barnegat Light, Beach
Haven, Beachwood, Berkeley, Dover, Harvey Cedars, Island Heights,
Lacey, Long Beach, Pine Beach, Ocean, Ocean Gate, Seaside Park,
Ship Bottom, South Toms River, Stafford and Surf City in Ocean County.
An
additional supply of KI will be available at designated evacuation
reception centers in Ocean, Salem and Cumberland counties. The pills
are for residents, workers and visitors within the 10-mile EPZs
during evacuation in the unlikely event of a radiological release.
KI
public education and distribution sessions will be held as follows:
Ocean
County Area
- 7-13-02
Manchester High School (Saturday)
101 South Colonial Drive, Manchester
Operation Hours (9:00 am - 3:00 pm)
- 7-17-02
Pinelands Regional High School (Wednesday)
565 Nugentown Road, Little Egg Harbor
Operation Hours (4:00 pm - 8:00 pm)
- 7-27-02
Manchester High School (Saturday)
101 South Colonial Drive, Manchester
Operation Hours (9:00 am - 3:00 pm)
Salem/Cumberland
County Area
- 7-13-02
Salem County Department of Emergency Service (Saturday)
135 Cemetery Road, Woodstown
Operation Hours (9:00 am - 3:00 pm)
- 7-24-02
Bridgeton High School (Wednesday)
111 North West Avenue, Bridgeton
Operation Hours (4:00 pm - 8:00 pm)
- 7-27-02
Salem County Department of Emergency Service (Saturday)
135 Cemetery Road, Woodstown
Operation Hours (9:00 am - 3:00 pm)
The Office of Emergency Management within the Division of State
Police, in collaboration with the Departments of Health and Senior
Services and Environmental Protection and county and local health
and emergency management officials and volunteer agencies, will
manage New Jersey's KI distribution plan.
New
Jersey currently has a supply of 722,000 KI pills, which it received
free-of-charge from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission in April.
The State will be working with local and county officials to publicize
the KI distribution schedule.
In
total, 33 states and 1 Native American nation within 10-mile EPZs
around nuclear power plants were offered a supply of KI by the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission. The pills were made available at no charge
to states on a first-come, first-serve basis. New Jersey was the
11th state to accept the offer.
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