FIRST OF FOUR PLANNED CLINICS BEGINS
MARCH 27
FOR FREE KI PILLS TO PERSONS NEAR NUCLEAR
PLANT
Increased public
demand for free potassium iodide (KI)
pills from workers and residents within
10 miles of the Oyster Creek Nuclear
Generating Station, has resulted in
four area distribution clinics being
announced by the Ocean County Health
Department.
Health Department
spokesman Edward Rumen said the clinics
will be held in the northern, central
and southern mainland areas, and on
Long Beach Island.
“We needed
to make the clinics as accessible as
possible to the largest number of residents
living or working within the 10 mile
Emergency Planning Zone,” he said.
“The easier it is to go to a clinic,
the greater the number of clients will
come.”
The first clinic
begins Thursday, March 27 from 4 p.m.
to 7 p.m., at the Health Department
main building, 175 Sunset Avenue, Toms
River.
“We chose
the hours for the convenience of the
majority of residents,” Rumen
said. “By having late afternoon
and early evening hours, we hope to
be able to serve most of our working
public.”
The KI pills are
free and replace older pills distributed
in 2002, which have expired. The new
pills for adults expire in 2014 and
the pediatric pills expire in 2012.
The four distribution
clinics are:
• March 27,
4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Ocean County Health
Department, 175 Sunset Avenue, Toms
River
• April 3,
4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Ocean Acres Community
Center, 489 Nautilus Drive, Ocean Acres,
Stafford Township
• April 8,
4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Lacey Township High
School, 73 Haines Street, Lanoka Harbor
• April 10,
4 p.m. to 7 p.m., Long Beach Island
Health Department, 11601 The Boulevard,
Haven Beach.
“The pills
protect the thyroid from absorbing any
radioactive iodine that may be released
into the air during an emergency shutdown
of the nuclear reactor,” said
Daniel Regenye, Assistant Public Health
Coordinator. “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.”
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KI/Release/Page 2
“Individuals
who wish to receive a pill at one of
the scheduled distribution sessions
may 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 live or work
within the 10-mile zone. Also, one family
member can pick up pills for all members
of the family. Also, neighbors may pick
up pills for neighbors who may be homebound,”
Rumen added.
“In
addition to the public distribution,
the new KI pills have been stockpiled
at various locations, such as schools,
day care centers and emergency reception
centers,” Regenye added.
“It
is important to remember the KI pills
are a preparedness measure and are not
a response to any imminent danger or
known threat at the nuclear generating
plant,” said Freeholder Gerry
P, Little, liaison to the Board of Health
“Public health preparedness is
important to all of us and I encourage
those individuals living or working
within the 10 mile zone around the nuclear
plant to consider having KI pills on
hand in their home or workplace,”.
Regenye said just
about anyone who is not allergic to
iodine or shellfish can take the KI
pill. Residents should consult with
their physician about other specific
medical conditions before consuming
KI, he stated.
Regenye added that
a KI pill should be taken only after
a public health official tells you to
do so. It then should be taken as soon
as possible after that announcement.
Rumen stated that
the clinics’ dates, times and
locations, along with KI fact sheets,
can be found on the Ocean County Health
Department Web site at www.ochd.org.
He added anyone with questions or concerns
about KI pills can call the Health Department’s
Health Planning section at 732-341-9700,
ext. 7227 or, for out of area callers,
800-342-9738.
The Health Department
held a series of distribution clinics
last spring within the 10-mile zone.
“Those clinics
helped us reach several thousand residents,
but a recent front page story in a Sunday
edition of the Asbury Park Press sparked
renewed interest in obtaining the current
KI pills,” Rumen said. “The
volume of people seeking KI pills showed
us the need to capitalize on the newspaper
article and schedule new clinics.”
Municipalities
considered within the 10-mile radius
of the nuclear power plant include Barnegat,
Barnegat Light, Beach Haven, Beachwood,
Berkeley, Harvey Cedars, Island Heights,
Lacey, Long Beach, Pine Beach, Ocean
(Waretown), Ocean Gate, Toms River,
Seaside Park, Ship Bottom, South Toms
River, Stafford and Surf City.