(WTRF) — Potassium Iodide tablets are going to be made available to residents in Northern West Virginia in case they are exposed to radiation.
Potassium Iodide (KI) tablets will be passed out to residents of the northern part of Hancock County who reside, work, and attend school within the ten-mile Emergency Planning Zone of the Beaver Valley Power Station in Shippingport, PA.
Each person will get a two-day supply, enough time to evacuate the area.
The distribution of the tablets is being done to ensure that in the event of a radiological emergency at the power station, the possible exposed population will be able to take the tablets as soon as possible, immediately following exposure to radiation.
Officials in Hancock County said that Potassium Iodide is a safe and stable form of iodine that provides protection from radioiodine.
Like the iodine found in table salt, radioiodine is collected and stored in the thyroid gland. Potassium Iodide protects the thyroid gland by saturating the thyroid, this will allow the radioactive iodine to pass through the body via the kidneys.
The event is scheduled from 2 pm-6 pm at the Hancock County Health Department on Tuesday.
The Ohio, Brooke, Tyler, and Wetzel County health departments will all be present as well at the event, along with the counties’ EMA teams.
