For those who live in the Town of Amherstburg and had previously obtained Potassium Iodide (KI) pills, they are nearing their expiration date and new ones are being issued.
Amherstburg residents will be able to pick up a new package of KI pills at the Amherstburg Fire Station #1, located at 271 Sandwich St. S., starting this Saturday (July 27) between 9 a.m. to 12 p.m.
Should residents not be able to attend this Saturday, Amherstburg fire chief/Community Emergency Management Co-ordinator (CEMC) Bruce Montone said the pills will still be available to residents for the next several weeks.
“They’ll be able to get them on an ongoing basis,” said Montone.
The KI pills are now available at Amherstburg town hall and at the Libro Centre during regular business hours, Montone stated.
The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU), in partnership with the Town of Amherstburg, will be distributing KI pills to Amherstburg residents living in the primary zone and surrounding areas including Boblo Island. The primary zone is 16.1 km from Enrico Fermi 2 Nuclear Generating Station.
After receiving new KI pills, WECHU says residents can safely dispose of expired KI pills in their household garbage or drop them off at their local pharmacy. For Windsor-Essex County residents living outside of the Town of Amherstburg, the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit asks that they visit their website at www.wechu.org for more information on when they can register for their kit.
According to WECHU: “KI pills block the thyroid from absorbing radioactive iodine which may be released during a nuclear incident. In the very unlikely event of a nuclear emergency, KI pills would help to prevent the long-term development of thyroid cancer.”
Montone called the pills “a good preventative measure” when people are advised to take them. The health units adds KI pills are only to be taken when instructed by the Medical Officer of Health.
It is advised the pills be stored in a safe, dry, and accessible place along with the residents’ 72-hour emergency kit.
“While the level of risk has not changed at Fermi 2, the regulatory framework for Canadian nuclear installations has been updated,” the Health Unit states.
“The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) has mandated that all residents within the primary zone of a nuclear installation have KI pills available in their homes. While Fermi 2 is not regulated by the CNSC, the WECHU and the Town of Amherstburg want the residents living within the primary zone of Fermi 2 to be as prepared as all other Canadian residents.”
Montone added the KI pills are good for seven years.
“We did this seven years ago and now we’re going to replace them,” said Montone.
The plan is to eventually expand the program and encourage residents in the secondary zone to get pills should they want them. Montone said there are roughly 9,000 households in all of Amherstburg with the primary zone to have roughly 500 once all lots are developed.
“This is funded by the province, specifically the Ministry of Health,” Montone added.
By Ron Giofu
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