Story Filed: Thursday, December 20, 2001 7:34 PM EST
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Agency said on Thursday
that it would give potassium iodide to states that want to stockpile the
medicine in case of an attack against a nuclear power plant.
The drug has been shown to protect the body's thyroid gland if taken soon
after radiation exposure.
Rep. Edward Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat who has long criticized what he
terms inadequate safety provisions at nuclear power plants, is among several
lawmakers who have urged stricter security measures at the plants since the
deadly Sept. 11 attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon.
Nuclear plants, which rank among the nation's most closely guarded
facilities, are of particular concern because an attack could spew radioactive
contamination over an area covering hundreds of square miles.
The regulatory commission said it had earmarked $800,000 to buy potassium
iodide supplies for people living within about 10 miles of a nuclear plant. The
United States has 103 nuclear power plants.
``The commission has found that potassium iodide is a reasonable, prudent and
inexpensive supplement to evacuation and sheltering for specific local
conditions,'' a statement said.
The drug will be given to states that request it within 30 days, according to
the commission.
Alabama, Arizona and Tennessee already have potassium iodide stockpiled for
people living near nuclear plants as part of emergency preparedness programs.
The agency took the action a month after Markey urged the federal government
to stock the drug at homes and public buildings within 50 miles of a nuclear
plant.
The Nuclear Control Institute, an activist group, said a direct, high-speed
crash by a large passenger jet would likely penetrate the concrete walls of up
to 4-1/2 feet that protect a nuclear plant's reactor.
Separately, Congress approved an extra $36 million in funding for the Nuclear
Regulatory Commission so it could assess security at nuclear power plants.
The funds were included in a $20 billion supplemental spending bill for the
Defense Department that was agreed on by House and Senate negotiators. The
agency will study the safety design of nuclear plants security in the
transportation, storage and use of nuclear materials.
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