Olexander Belyakov for New Pathway, Toronto
Have you received your anti-radiation pills? Sounds worrying? Don't worry just yet. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) – the federal agency that monitors the safe operation of nuclear stations – is requiring that all homes and businesses within 10 km of a nuclear power station receive a supply of potassium iodide (KI) pills – also known as RadBlock. In the Greater Toronto Area, the Darlington nuclear generating station has four reactors producing about 3.5 Gigawatts. It is located about 40 km east of the Toronto limits. The Pickering nuclear power plant has six reactors producing about 3.1 Gigawatts. It is even closer – less than 10 km east of the city limits.
The City of Toronto, the Region of Durham and Ontario Power Generation are mailing KI pills to homes and businesss within the 10 km zones. They are also supplying KI pills on request to all residents living within 50 km of the Pickering Nuclear Plant now. If you are in doubt, this zone includes the whole of Toronto and the eastern areas of Mississauga, York and Durham regions. According to the authorities, “It is important for each household to have a supply of these pills because they are most effective if taken just before or soon after exposure to radioactive iodine.”
What have we learned after all from the Fukushima and Chornobyl disasters? How to prevent such tragedies from recurring? There still seems to be little agreement on what these lessons should be for the Pickering and Darlington Nuclear Power Stations. Are there high chances of nuclear accidents? The 30th Anniversary of Chornobyl and 5th Anniversary of Fukushima, which are commemorated in 2016, will attract public attention and provide good opportunities for discussing best international practices for emergency response.
In both Chornobyl and Fukushima cases, the evacuation of affected people was aimed at reducing exposure to radiation and did not sufficiently consider either the psychological or the physical health impacts of resettlement, or the security and safety of food supplies. On this background, the Ontario government has agreed to a public review of nuclear emergency plans (expected in 2016).
In November 2015, CNSC held a two-part public hearing on the application by Ontario Power Generation to renew, for 13 years, its power reactor operating licence for the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station. What should be done in the follow-up of this event?
In Toronto, eleven city councillors requested that the City Manager, in consultation with the Medical Officer of Health and the Office of Emergency Management, report back to the Executive Committee by March 2016 on:
1. The status of the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station licence renewal and any issues relating to emergency response discussed during the renewal process.
2. Toronto’s emergency response protocols for nuclear risks and international best practices for both Darlington and Pickering Nuclear Generating Stations.
3. The appropriateness of the current 10 km primary response zone for distribution of Potassium Iodide (KI) pills and whether it should be expanded given the 50 km evacuation zones of other jurisdictions.
The city councillors explain: “While it is highly unlikely that there will be a serious nuclear accident, we, unfortunately, know it can and has happened and that we need to be prepared to respond.” The Executive Committee of Toronto City Council, chaired by Mayor John Tory, adopted a motion on Toronto’s nuclear emergency response and considered these recommendations on December 1.
There are many things that could be done to prepare for a nuclear accident (including the KI pills distribution). Suhail Barot, the University of Toronto instructor, stated in his letter to Toronto City Council: “Public awareness in this regard is extremely low. And in the event of an emergency, it is unreasonable to expect millions of Torontonians to go to their local pharmacies to obtain KI pills within the 2-hour window it needs to be taken for maximum efficacy (or for the pharmacies to be able to meet this demand).”
You believe in better safe than sorry? Than order your pills for free completing the form at https://preparetobesafe.ca/order
The authorities explain that KI pills are used to protect your thyroid gland from radioactive iodine that could be released into the air during a nuclear accident. They are effective as a specific blocker of thyroid radioiodine uptake, but this action is no panacea. When taken in the recommended dose and at the right time, KI is effective in reducing the risk of thyroid cancer in individuals or populations at risk of inhalation or ingestion of radioiodines. KI does not protect against other types of radiation.
The “Prepare to be safe” website also mentions that “The overall benefit during a nuclear emergency outweighs the risks of side effects. There is an increased risk of side effects for people with thyroid disorders, i.e., auto-immune thyroiditis, Graves’ disease, iodine deficiency and nodular goiter. These disorders are more common in adults and the elderly and are rare in children. Rare side effects in other parts of the body, such as gastrointestinal effects or hypersensitivity reaction, may occur but are generally mild. People who are sensitive to iodine, who have an existing or previous thyroid disorder, or have any other concerns, should consult their doctor or nurse practitioner prior to taking KI.”
Share on Social Media
