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In a reversal, the state asks for radiation-blocking pills to protect residents near three nuclear power plants.
By ALEX LEARY, Times Staff Writer
© St. Petersburg Times, published February 12, 2002
Reversing its stance, the state on Monday asked the federal government for radiation-blocking pills to protect hundreds of thousands of residents within 10 miles of three nuclear power plants.
Using population estimates that account for seasonal residents, the state asked for 784,000 pills -- 2 for each of the 392,000 people who live near the Crystal River, St. Lucie and Turkey Point power plants.
"This is not a silver bullet," Department of Health spokesman Bill Parizek said Monday. "If something happened, we're still going to need to evacuate and shelter the public. But if we can have an additional tool to protect public health, we'll take it."
Florida thus becomes the seventh state to accept the Nuclear Regulatory Commission's offer to provide the pills, which reduce the threat of thyroid cancer.
The state does not plan to distribute the pills to the households within the 10-mile emergency zones. Rather, it will make the pills available in the event of an emergency, possibly at evacuation check points.
"If the state feels this decision adds to the safety of the public, we certainly support their decision," said Mac Harris, spokesman for Florida Power, which operates the 832-megawatt reactor in Crystal River. The state estimates that 22,000 people live within 10 miles of the plant.
As recently as last month, some state and local officials had resisted the NRC offer, saying the tablets would provide a false sense of security because they do not protect the body from other harmful effects of radiation.
Some residents, the officials said, could be reluctant to leave in the event of a nuclear emergency.
The debate over potassium iodide, known as KI, began years ago but was largely confined to a government level. The terrorist attacks on Sept. 11 brought the issue to the forefront.
"You can't deny that Sept. 11 plays into this decision," said William Passetti, head of the Bureau of Radiation Control. "Before this, you didn't think about terrorist events releasing radiological material."
He cited the Food and Drug Administration's endorsement of KI as "safe and effective protection" and data from the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986 as major factors in reversing policy that the tablets should be made available only to emergency workers and those unable to evacuate.
KI was not widely used in the area around Chernobyl, and hundreds of children developed thyroid cancer. But 17-million people in nearby Poland received pills and studies showed that the number of thyroid cancer cases did not increase beyond normal.
The decision against predistribution was based on experience of other states. Passetti said some people misplaced the pills or had forgotten the correct dosage. Generally, one pill is good for 24 hours, but adults take a higher amount than children.
Concerns about allergic reactions to iodine were also considered. If taken by the wrong person, KI can cause joint pains, swelling of the face or severe shortness of breath.
Even if the state does not provide the pills, they are easily obtainable through the Internet. Several companies, including one in Palm Harbor, market KI for a quarter or less per tablet.
The compound works by saturating the thyroid gland with stable iodine, rather than the radioactive form.
"The thyroid basically says "Sorry, I don't need it,' " said Patricia Milligan, an emergency preparedness specialist with the NRC. "But it's not an antidote to radiation. It won't protect your body from other particles that can be harmful."
Monday's announcement followed discussions between the Department of Health and a Senate select committee overseen by State Sen. Ginny Brown-Waite.
The Brooksville Republican said despite reservations at a state level, a majority of the people she spoke with in the Crystal River area were "very much in favor" of KI. "I think the public needs that sense of security."
NRC officials said the pills could be delivered to Florida within six weeks.