NRC NEWS

U.S. NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION

Office of Public Affairs Telephone: 301/415-8200

Washington, DC 20555-001 E-mail: opa@nrc.gov

Web Site: http://www.nrc.gov/OPA

No. 00-186 December 22, 2000

NRC REVISES ITS REGULATIONS ON

USE OF POTASSIUM IODIDE IN EMERGENCY RESPONSE

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission is revising a section of its emergency preparedness

regulations to require that consideration be given to include potassium iodide (KI) as a protective

measure for the general public to supplement sheltering and evacuation in the event of a severe nuclear

power plant accident.

Reversing an earlier decision, the Commission has agreed to provide funding for a supply of KI

for a State, or, in some cases, local governments designated by the State to request such funding, that

choose to incorporate KI for the general public in their emergency plans. After funding the initial

purchases of KI, the Commission may consider extending the program to fund stockpile replenishment,

but has made no commitments in this regard. The NRC has set aside $400,000 in fiscal year 2001 for

this purpose and will be requesting similar funding in fiscal year 2002.

Potassium iodide, if taken in time, blocks the thyroid gland’s uptake of radioactive iodine and

thus would help prevent thyroid cancers and other thyroid diseases that might otherwise be caused by

exposure to radioactive iodine that could be dispersed in a severe nuclear accident. Nuclear power

plant emergency plans already provide for distribution of the drug to emergency workers and certain

institutionalized populations, such as hospital patients within designated emergency planning zones.

The rule change would add this sentence to Part 50.47(b) (10) of Title 10, Code of Federal

Regulations: “In developing this range of actions, consideration has been given to evacuation,

sheltering, and as a supplement to these, the prophylactic use of potassium iodide (KI), as appropriate.”

NRC is moving to amend this regulation as the result of a petition filed by Peter G. Crane, a

retired NRC staff attorney who acted as a private citizen. The amendment should not be taken to imply

that the NRC believes that the present generation of nuclear power plants is any less safe than

previously thought. On the contrary, present indications are that nuclear power plant safety has been

steadily improving. The Commission has found that KI can be a reasonable, prudent and inexpensive

supplement to evacuation and sheltering for specific local conditions.

The Commission has directed the NRC staff to work with the Federal Emergency Management

Agency (FEMA) to find “the most efficient and cost-effective way to fund the stockpiles,” for those
States, or in some cases, local governments that elect to stockpile KI for use by the general public as

part of their emergency plans. FEMA is the lead agency for drafting a federal policy on use of KI for

thyroid protection in a radiological emergency at commercial nuclear power plants. The Food and

Drug Administration (FDA) is the lead agency for the medical aspects of KI prophylaxis.

The rule change, which will be published shortly in the Federal Register, will be available on

the NRC Homepage at www.nrc.gov/NRC/rule.html.

###