http://www.charlotte.com/1011nuke.htm

Posted at 5:53 p.m. EDT Sunday, October 10, 1999

Health experts urge nationwide stockpiling of pill to block cancer

By NANCY STANCILL

Costing only about 18 cents a tablet, potassium iodide is a drug that prevents thyroid cancer after radiation exposure. It would protect the thyroid gland from radioactive iodine in the extremely unlikely event of a catastrophic nuclear power plant accident.

Health experts say it's a no-brainer to stockpile potassium iodide nationally for emergency civilian use. But for the past two decades, advocates and opponents agree, it hasn't happened because federal officials keep seesawing on the issue.

Now, thanks to years of persistent private lobbying by Peter Crane, a former Nuclear Regulatory Commission lawyer who's also a thyroid cancer patient, a proposed federal rule could help make it happen. The proposal would spur states to make the drug available in emergencies to civilians living in the evacuation zone of every nuclear plant.

The issue is grabbing public attention in the wake of the Sept. 30 accident at a Japanese nuclear fuel-processing plant that released radioactivity into the atmosphere, exposing dozens of workers and keeping 300,000 nearby residents in their homes for days to avoid exposure.

"The photographs of little children with radiation detectors being held to their necks underscores the fact that the thyroid gland is the prime risk in a radiation accident," says Crane. Potassium iodide doesn't protect from other possible cancers, but medical experts say the thyroid is the most radiation-sensitive gland of the body.

Meanwhile, Carolinas emergency planning officials have quietly built limited standby supplies of potassium iodide, known by its chemical-compound name KI.

"I think it's essential to stockpile it," says Tony Wynn, South Carolina's emergency preparedness coordinator.

Wynn says South Carolina is storing 7,000 bottles - each containing enough to protect one person for 14 days or a family of four for three days - in Columbia and in several counties, including York. Duke Power's Catawba nuclear plant is six miles north of Rock Hill.

Charles Reed, North Carolina's state pharmacist, says the state's 15,000 bottles of KI are shelved in 12 counties near the three N.C. nuclear plants, located on Lake Norman, near Raleigh and near Southport along the coast.

The NRC says that the chances of a serious accident at any U.S. nuclear plant are minuscule, but the federal government requires state and local governments to prepare as if a serious accident will happen.

Duke Power rates the chances of a nuclear meltdown at McGuire or Catawba - in which radiation would escape the plant - at once in 500,000 years. President Bill Coley emphasizes that Duke plants have a long history of operating safely and an unblemished accident record.

Potassium iodide stockpiles kept for Duke's McGuire plant, which has about 100,000 residents within the 10-mile emergency planning zone around it, are held by officials in Mecklenburg, Gaston, Lincoln, Cabarrus, Iredell and Catawba counties.

The potassium iodide in the Carolinas is enough to protect emergency workers and civilians who could not evacuate quickly, such as hospital patients and prison inmates.

A few other states provide better coverage. For instance, Tennessee has more than 17,000 bottles, enough to cover all civilians within two miles of the state's two nuclear plants, and some of those as far as 10 miles away.

But most states do not keep supplies for civilians - they just have enough potassium iodide to cover emergency workers.

Duke's Coley says he doesn't object to the state or federal government stockpiling potassium iodide. But he questions whether it's necessary, given the industry's record of no serious accidents in the United States since 1979.

"It reminds me a little bit of when I was in grammar school and we all were intent on building bomb shelters and stocking them with food and supplies and everything else," Coley says.

`Low-cost insurance policy'

Children are particularly susceptible to radiation-caused thyroid cancer. World Health Organization studies show that at least 2,000 Ukrainian children living near the Chernobyl nuclear plant got thyroid cancer after the 1986 accident there. Most people living near the plant didn't get potassium iodide or got the drug days after the accident.

Crane says Japan stockpiles potassium iodide, but it is unclear whether the workers or civilians in the path of the Sept. 30 radiation accident received the drug.

Thyroid cancer is treatable, but can be fatal.

Potassium iodide is cheap, safe and effective in protecting the thyroid gland, health experts agree. Most European nations routinely keep it on hand to give to civilians in case of nuclear plant accidents.

"There are countries all over the world that wouldn't be without this stuff," says Crane, who retired this month as an NRC lawyer. Hoping to resolve the long-running issue, the longtime advocate is petitioning the NRC as a private citizen to encourage the national stockpiling of KI.

Crane drafted his petition this year after the NRC reneged on a tentative plan to make the drug available to states for emergency use. The plan broke down when the NRC and Federal Emergency Management Agency couldn't agree which agency would pay for the potassium iodide. The two regulators share oversight of emergency planning for nuclear power plants.

Crane and other advocates say it would cost less than $2million to buy enough potassium iodide to cover all U.S. civilians who live in emergency planning zones, the 10-mile radius around the country's 103 nuclear reactors.

Opponents, including some nuclear industry leaders, argue that supplies of the drug aren't needed because chances of a radiation-release accident are so low.

The industry's Nuclear Energy Institute says the decision should be left to the states.

NRC Commissioner Edward McGaffigan says stockpiling KI is common sense.

"It isn't because the plants are any less safe," McGaffigan says. "It's a low-cost insurance policy that most of the rest of the world has chosen to invest in."

Jim Riccio, a spokesman for the anti-nuclear group Public Citizen, notes that nuclear plants keep potassium iodide on hand.

"They've got the stuff in emergency kits for their workers," Riccio says.

Officials at the Nuclear Energy Institute and Duke Power confirm that they have emergency supplies of KI, saying that plant workers would be the most likely to be exposed during a nuclear accident.

Available in an emergency?

Crane's proposed NRC rule would require states to at least consider stockpiling KI. Spurred by Congressional interest after the Japan accident, the commission is expected to debate the issue again during the next year.

Reed, North Carolina's state pharmacist, says state officials decided in the early 1980s to stockpile the drug for emergency workers. But he emphasizes that the state would also make KI available to as many residents as possible who might fear exposure because they couldn't evacuate fast enough.

"Somehow, some way, we'd get them their medication," says Reed. Supplies of the drug would be rushed to evacuation shelters and distributed by emergency workers.

Wynn, the S.C. emergency coordinator, says his state started buying KI after the 1979 Three Mile Island accident in Pennsylvania, which partly melted the reactor's core. No one was injured by radiation, but thousands of nearby residents fled in panic.

The two Carolinas officials say they could get more potassium iodide from other states or sources if they needed it. Experts say a single pill provides some protection in blocking the thyroid from radiation, but a 14-day regimen is often recommended. People should take the pill before radiation exposure if possible, but the drug can provide some protection up to 72 hours after.

Though some forms are prescription, the drug can be obtained over the counter - except that pharmacies don't customarily carry it, says Crane. He says at least two U.S. companies manufacture it - Anbex of Florida and Carter Wallace of New Jersey - and are exploring marketing over the Internet.

About 10million people in Poland took the drug within a few days after the Chernobyl accident, says Jacob Robbins, a researcher at the National Institutes of Health.

"If the same thing had been done quickly in Russia, there wouldn't be over 2,000 kids with thyroid cancer," says Robbins.

`A moral obligation'

Crane developed symptoms of thyroid cancer as a Duke Law School student in 1973. He says doctors told him the cancer probably came from childhood radiation exposure he received in the treatment of tonsils and adenoids.

Crane, who has had serious bouts with the cancer, started working for the NRC in 1975. He became interested - and eventually active - as the agency began to debate the issue of potassium iodide in the late 1970s. He says his NRC work didn't involve KI and that the NRC hasn't objected to his stand.

"There have been people unhappy with me from time to time, but the NRC has really been commendable about tolerating this campaign from one of their own," he says.

"When you're talking about a drug so cheap, why would you not buy it?" he says.

North Carolina's Reed says the state replaces its KI supplies every five years. The new batch on order will cost about $37,000, he says. South Carolina's KI stockpile costs about $17,000 every five years, according to Wynn.

"We certainly have a moral obligation to help those exposed or who believe they were exposed, but it's best to evacuate people before they are exposed," says Reed. "- NRC Commissioner Edward McGaffigan, who says stockpiling KI is common sense."

-- mmmm (mmmm@mmmm.com), October 11, 1999

Answers

My thyroid was 'killed' a long time ago by radiation. I have to take synthetic thyroid hormones. There are a lot of women who take these hormones because of a dead thyroid. I wonder if the potassium tablets would do anygood in my situation? Or would the radiation just go to some other organ and start cancer? I remember reading that the thyroid would gather up all the radiation before it went to other parts of the body that is why the potassium is so important.

-- Carol (glear@usa.net), October 11, 1999.

"POTASSIUM IODATE
"150 mg Tablets

"Potassium Iodate is a superior form of KI (buffered Iodine) and carried only by Medical Corps. Each factory sealed bottle contains 100 fresh tablets of Potassium Iodate 150mg.

"The shelf life of Potassium Iodate is exceptional and should last a generation. Because of the extra molecule of oxygen in Iodate, Medical Corps can guarantee Iodate's stability without adding stabilizers.

"Medical Corps recommends that each family member should have at least one bottle in their emergency kit. KI is the only known chemical available on the market which will shield (or block) the Thyroid and prevent it from absorbinb radioactive Iodine.

"Unlike other blockers, Medical Corps' stock is NOT government surplus 130 mg tablets. It is also chewable and especially recommended for children because our youngsters are extremely susceptible to thyroid cancer after exposure to radioactive contamination.

"Remember, be it a spill, accident, war or terrorism, Potassium Iodate is the only chemical which will protect you and your children. For those who are interested, it can be used for your pets also.

"1 Bottle = 100 150mg pills.
"Use during a Nuclear Emergency ONLY
* For the first 14 days take 1 tablet twice a day. This is a total of 2 tablets per day.
* For the next 76 days take 1 tablet per day.

"Potassium Iodate 150mg is a superior form of "KI" because of its extended shelf life and lack of bitter taste. The extra molecule of oxygen in Potassium Iodate 150mg (actually K103), can guarantee the Iodate's continued freshness without adding stabilizers. Keep the bottle sealed, dry, and out of sunlight. It should remain stable for a generation.

"Why should it be used?
"During a Nuclear Disaster, such as War, Terrorism, a MeltDown or Spill, great amounts of Radioactive Iodine-131 are often released. Even though I-131 is radioactive, it is still Iodine ... and Iodine is what the Thyroid requires to operate correctly. The Thyroid does not know the difference between "good" iodine and "bad" iodine and will readily absorb Radioactive 131 if allowed to. What must be done in case of a nuclear accident is to SATURATE the Thyroid with the good Iodine so that the bad iodine cannot do irreparable damage. The blocking must be done on a daily basis at least 12 hours BEFORE the nuclear emergency starts and it must be continued for at least 80 days. [???]

"Medical Corp"

"Medical Corps is an organization of retired United States Armed Forces personnel united to bring to the citizenry of the nation education and training in survival and emergency medical techniques.

"Ralph Charles "Chuck" Fenwick is the founder and chief administrator of Medical Corp.

Address label on bottle:
"Medical Corps
45161 State Route 821
Caldwell, OH 43724

"New Important Information
[ the guy said for the last year, and the military is switching over to Postassium Iodate. He told us some info that we KNOW is not true, so we're being cautious ]

"New Thyroid Blocking Power
Did anyone besides Medical Corps understand what it means to have 100 suitcase Atomic Bombs unaccounted for by the former Soviet Union? Or maybe it is just a coincidence, but the US Government has instituted an NBC crash training program for emergency medical personnel in 120 cities nation wide! Medical Corps is involved with just that sort of training and has been for two years. One of the emergency procedures being taught is the use of the Thyroid Blocker called KI. This is the only chemical which will protect a human from absorbinb Radioactive Iodine 131. Iodine 131 is deadly and is especially toxic to children.

"Medical Corps now carries a superior form of KI. In the past we have marketed Potassium Iodide 150mg. Now we can offer a new product called Potassium Iodate 150mg.

"Medical Corps carries this superior form of KI. Potassium Iodate has an extra molecule of Oxygen which makes it more shelf stable than Iodide or Iodine. It is not as bitter as Potassium Iodide and can be chewed. Unlike the government surplus 130mg Iodide, Medical Corps chose the 150mg strength, as this will extend the thyroid blocking.

The store is called "American Family Network," and their website is at
http://www.americanfamilynetwork.com

Helps if your browser can see/use frames.

Medical Corp:
http://www.medicalcorp.org

Can get KI at Emergency Essentials.
Get your supply now! Don't wait.

-- Ashton & Leska in Cascadia (allaha@earthlink.net), October 11, 1999.

If you intend to wait for a higher authority to dispense the K1 to you in case of an emergency, read these 2 reports:

The announcement of the "test":

http://ds.dial.pipex.com/cndscot/news/sermon.htm

which includes this paragraph:

"Distribution of Potassium Iodate Tablets (PITs)

This is a major issue which has still not been properly addressed. One of the worst results of the Chernobyl disaster is that large numbers of children in Belarus and the Ukraine have developed thyroid cancer. These could have been prevented if the children had been issued with Potassiuum Iodate Tablets (PITs) within 1 or 2 hours of the accident. In France a decision has recently been taken to predistribute PITs to those living within 5 kms of nuclear sites. Some predistribution has also taken place around Devonport dockyard. Plans for distributing PITs in the event of a nuclear submarine accident in Scotland are inadequate. In Scotland it is still assumed that local health boards would be able to arrange for mass distribution of these tablets in the immediate aftermath of an accident. However when this was actually tried during one experiment in England, the exercise was soon abandoned. It was discovered that the whole process took far longer than planned because each household had to be told verbally what to do with the tablets."

next is a summary of the results of the "simulation":

http://ds.dial.pipex.com/cndscot/news/971120.htm

note that in the above "simulation" they "got around" the problem of how to distribute the K1 to the population by "slowing" the release of radiation from the submarine to compensate.

I guess if we have a nuclear accident around here, they can just "slow" the release of radiation until they can dig up some K1 or K103 for everyone.

-- plonk! (realaddress@hotmail.com), October 11, 1999.

Also of concern is Strontium 90 which mimics Calcium and can be taken in via milk produced by cows exposed to contaminated forage and grain mixes. I think powdered milk makes sense for those with children on this account alone as it elimiates the issue of consuming locally produced milk products.

Unfortunately Strontium 90 builds up in the bone structure, particulary of the young who are absorbing large amounts of calcium in order to build their skeletal structure. Its radioactive half life is very long and the radioactiveity is pretty strong (ie - if its in you irradiating you then you will have damage from this).

We live near Seabrook Nuclear Power station (New Hampshire) and do not look forward to a 'dose' from that source. Better to be ready, not wanting.

-- ..- (dit@dot.dash), October 11, 1999.