The Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) and Delaware Division of Public Health (DPH) will distribute potassium iodide (KI) tablets to Delaware residents living within a ten mile radius (also known as the Emergency Planning Zone or EPZ) of the Salem/Hope Creek Nuclear Generating Stations.
The free tablets will be distributed on April 4 between 11 a.m. and 7 p.m. at the Volunteer Hose Co., 27 W. Green Street, Middletown, DE 19709
KI is available to residents who have received it previously and whose tablets have reached their expiration date, as well as to those who never received tablets before. Individuals with home or business addresses within the EPZ are eligible to receive the KI tablets. Recipients must bring a photo ID such as a driver’s license, proof of residency such as a utility bill, or proof of employment within the EPZ when they go to the Middletown Fire Hall; such proof is all that is required in order to receive KI tablets. Residents who have KI that is expired can bring those tablets to the distribution center to exchange for new ones.
KI does not protect against external radiation, but can help protect the thyroid gland from ingested or inhaled radioactive iodine that might be released in a radiation emergency. KI is one of the protective measures outlined in Delaware’s emergency plans developed for use in a nuclear incident. The State of Delaware receives the tablets through a program initiated by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).
In the event of a radiation emergency, state and local officials will inform the public via an Emergency Alert System (EAS) message on local radio and television stations with instructions on how affected residents should react, directions to evacuation routes and emergency reception centers, and when to take the KI tablets if at all.
Delaware residents living outside of the 10-mile EPZ who would like to obtain KI tablets should contact their pharmacist. KI is available over-the-counter at some local pharmacies.
For additional information regarding the potassium iodide distribution program in Delaware, call the Delaware Emergency Management Agency (DEMA) Radiological Emergency Preparedness (REP) section at 302-659-3362.