nuclear-news

Everybody near Sizewell nuclear site will get anti-radiation pills

Suffolk: Whole town to get anti-radiation pills as part of N-plant
safety plan, EEADT24 By David Green, January 7, 2013 THE entire
population of a Suffolk town will be issued with “standby” supplies of
anti-radiation pills if proposals put out to public consultation today
are approved.

People living and working in Leiston, as well as schools, would also
be given annual calendars setting out the procedures for use in the
event of a major release of radioactivity from the Sizewell nuclear
site.

The official emergency planning zone around the Sizewell site
currently covers a radius of just 2.4 kilometres, an area with a total
population of just 600 people and including only a small part of
Leiston.

However, proposals being put forward today by the Suffolk Resilience
Forum, which includes the county’s emergency services and local
authorities, suggests the zone should be increased to a 4km radius –
in line with current international guidelines but far short of the
20km radius being demanded by local critics of the nuclear
industry…..
A four-kilometre emergency zone around Sizewell would cover the whole
of Leiston and much of Aldringham and Thorpeness, an area with a total
population of 6,500 – people who would get priority attention in the
event of a major nuclear accident.

All those living or working within the enlarged zone would be
routinely issued in advance with potassium iodate pills which, if
swallowed following a release of radioactivity, can help limit the
dangerous absorption of radioactive iodine by the thyroid.

Schools in Leiston, which take children from a wide rural area, would
also be given standby supplies of the pills.

A further proposal is the designation of an extended “precautionary”
zone over a radius of 15km, within which efforts would be made to
increase awareness of emergency arrangements among the 32,000
population.

The aim in any major emergency would be to – within 12-18 hours – give
advice to people in this outer zone on whether to evacuate or take
shelter and to distribute potassium iodate pills.

The 15km “precautionary” zone would cover the towns of Saxmundham.
Aldeburgh and Southwold and more than a dozen villages, including
Dunwich and Walberswick.

Other proposals include the identification of evacuation centres in
the outer, precautionary zone, especially for vulnerable groups such
as youngsters at schools and playgroups and care home residents….
http://www.eadt.co.uk/news/suffolk_whole_town_to_get_anti_radiation_pills_as_part_of_n_plant_safety_plan_1_1783878

January 8, 2013 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | safety, UK