The Ottawa County Health Department and the Toledo-Lucas County Health Department announced that a replacement supply of potassium iodide has arrived and is available for those living or working within the Davis-Besse 10-mile emergency planning zone.
KI can protect the thyroid gland if properly administered in the event of an off-site leak of radioactive iodine from the plant. Public health officials remind residents that the best precaution is to follow evacuation recommendations for their specific area if so advised during an emergency.
“The administration of KI is meant to be a supplement to evacuation or sheltering in place, and not a replacement for these actions,” said Ottawa County Health Commissioner Nancy Osborn. “The public should not delay evacuation or leave shelter in order to obtain KI.”
The Ohio Department of Health provided KI tablets to the Ottawa and Toledo-Lucas County Health Departments and Emergency Management Agencies in 2002. The health departments made the KI available to persons who lived or worked within the David-Besse 10-mile EPZ. Schools, nursery schools, daycare centers, nursing homes, hospitals  and detentions facilities were also provided with KI stockpiles. In addition, KI has been pre-distributed to emergency workers such as police, fire, EMS and highway departments.
KI distributed to the general public in 2002 was granted a two-year shelf life extension by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 2007. The extension expired on May 31, 2009.
Persons are advised to dispose of KI with an expired date on the packaging. KI can be safely discarded with normal trash.
Members of the public in the Davis-Besse 10-mile EPZ should contact their county health department for information on how to receive replacement KI.
For information, contact the Ottawa County Health Department at 419-734-6800 or on the Web at: www.ottawahealth.org.
Additional material may be found on the Ohio Department of Health Web site  http://www.odh.ohio.gov/odhPrograms/rp/techs/kipolicy.aspx or at the Nuclear Regulatory Commission at http://www.nrc.gov/about-nrc/emerg-preparedness/protect-public/potassium-iodide-use.html.

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