PICKERING

Ken Gorman hopes anyone who has recently received potassium iodide pills in the mail “really understand what’s going on.”

“It’s an extra level of protection,” Durham region’s director of environmental health said.

The pills were mailed to homes within 10 km of the Pickering nuclear plant, sparking some questions that officials hoped to answer at two community sessions this week.

“Some of the questions were concerns (like) is the plant operating as safe as it was before or did something change?” Gorman explained.

“The answer to all those questions is, everything is operating safely.

“They’ve been operating in Pickering for over 40 years without any significant event. This is simply an increased safety precaution.”

Durham region held the community sessions on Wednesday and Thursday. Approximately 70 people attended both days.

The distribution of the pills began in late September.

A notice on the city of Pickering website notes a “serious nuclear accident is extremely unlikely” and recent changes from the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission require the pills be provided to all homes and businesses within 10 km of a nuclear facility by 2016.

“The Pickering station has operated for 40 years without a serious accident, while the Darlington station has operated for 25 years, also without a serious accident,” the website says.

Staff from Ontario Power Generation and Durham region were on hand to answer questions.

Balbir Sangha has lived in the primary zone for 12 years, with his wife and three children.

“I think I got the answers,” he said. “It’s a pretty safe system. And I also found out how to use the pills.”

But a nuclear analyst with Greenpeace says the distribution of pills should extend beyond the primary zone.

“Not doing it is putting people at risk,” Shawn-Patrick Stensil told the Toronto Sun last year.

Gorman said the province is reviewing emergency preparedness plans and people living within 50 km of a nuclear plant can visit preparetobesafe.ca to request pills.

What are potassium iodide pills?

Potassium iodide is a stable iodine salt used to protect the thyroid gland — and hence reduce the risk of thyroid cancer — in case there is an emergency involving the release of radioactive iodine. The pills are best taken immediately before or as soon as possible after exposure, and only when directed to do so by public health officials.

Where can I get them?

They are available free of charge in some pharmacies in Durham Region. Now, the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission requires that all homes and businesses within the primary zone (10 kilometres) of a nuclear station be given potassium iodide pills by next year. They are only to be used when the province’s chief medical officer of health says so.

How do they work?

Potassium iodide pills prevent the thyroid gland from absorbing radioactive iodine. The thyroid gland does not differentiate between radioactive and stable iodine, so potassium iodide can help “load up” the gland, leaving no room for radioactive iodine, which is then harmlessly discharged through urination.

— Sources: City of Pickering, Health Canada

maryam.shah@sunmedia.ca