Date: 02/4/02
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
UNPLUG Salem Urges McGreevy to
Distribute KI Directly to Residents Near Salem Nukes
The UNPLUG Salem Campaign, a network
of 106 organizations that watchdogs the Salem Nuclear Plants, recently sent
Governor Jim McGreevy a letter urging him to veto New Jersey's plan to stockpile
Potassium Iodide (KI) and instead directly provide the anti-radiation medicine
to all residents living within 10 miles of the three nuclear plants on
Artificial Island. KI, if taken immediately after a radiation
release, protects people from thyroid cancer. KI does nothing to protect people
from any other effects of radiation.
New Jersey policy makers seem to support warehousing KI
because of their concerns about how to supply summer residents with the
medicine. However, as the UNPLUG Salem Campaign stated in their letter to
McGreevy, "The 10-mile area around the Salem and Hope Creek nuclear plants
is not a prime tourist area. The population remains fairly stable year-round.
Thus stockpiling KI makes no sense. All residents within a 10-mile radius of
Artificial Island should have KI in their homes. It is bad enough that,
according to researcher Joseph Mangano, Salem County residents have cancer and
infant mortality rates that are high above state and national averages due in
part to the synergistic effects of continued doses of low-level radiation
produced by Salem and Hope Creek."
The letter continues, " Another serious concern about
stockpiling KI is the distribution problem. The whole point of KI is to have it
readily available to use if evacuation plans fail, or if a radioactive plume is
moving too fast for evacuation to work. The longer one puts off taking KI, the
less effective it is. If KI were stockpiled in some warehouse, how would rescue
workers get the medicine to the affected people in time? What if, God
forbid, a major nuclear accident occurred at 3:00 AM in the morning? How long
would citizens have to wait for emergency workers to unlock the warehouse
storing the KI?"
The UNPLUG Salem Campaign is concerned that that the State's
Evacuation Plan for Artificial Island, as written, just won't work. There
are too many two-lane roads in Salem County. There would be widespread panic if
there was a nuclear accident. For example, parents' first thought would be to
rush to school to find their children. Would all the bus drivers, including
those from New Jersey Transit, really report to work, or would they protect
their families?
So if the people can't get out in the case of nuclear power
tragedy, how can New Jersey health and emergency management officials deliver KI
from the warehouse to the local population?
This concern of a radiation release has been heightened since the
Nuclear Regulatory Commission has been forced to admit that all four of our NJ
nuclear plants may not be able to withstand a terrorist attack. A 911-type
attack would be catastrophic for everyone living within 50 miles of Salem.
The NRC is currently reviewing a "2.206 petition"
from the UNPLUG Salem Campaign that points out serious security flaws and asks
for major security upgrades at Artificial Island. So the UNPLUG Salem Campaign
strongly urges Governor McGreevy to overturn the decision to stockpile KI and to
require that all local residents within a 10 mile radius of all four of New
Jersey's nuclear plants be provided with KI to be kept in their homes.
This is such a small step to take to give the public some
protection in the case of a radiation release. Of course, PSE&G could
eliminate the need for KI by agreeing to close down Salem 1 and 2 and Hope
Creek, and invest in alternative forms of energy instead.
The UNPLUG Salem Campaign is a network of 106 organizations whose
aims are to close the two aging and dangerous Salem Nuclear Plants, to stop the
Salem Nuke Fish Slaughter, to act as a public safety and health watchdog, and to
promote alternatives to nuclear and coal powered energy.
CONTACT: Norm Cohen 609-601-8583