Doses of potassium Iodide (chemical symbol: KI) have arrived in Minnesota for distribution to people who live within ten miles of Minnesota's two nuclear powered electrical generating stations.

One station is in Monticello, and the other is on Prairie Island.

It's an effort of the federal Department of Homeland Security and Minnesota's Departments of Public Health and Public Safety, in combination with the Nuclear Management Company which operates both plants for Xcel Energy.

"If there's ever an event at one of the plants," said Doug Neville, spokesman for the Department of Public Safety, "our first order of business is to evacuate. The potassium iodide is simply an extra layer of protection."

The doses of potassium iodide are intended to be distributed to homes, schools and businesses to be available for consumption if significant radiation leak should ever occur at either plant.

"It's not an anti-radiation pill," said spokesman Neville.

"It protects the thyroid. The thyroid is especially vulnerable to a certain form of radioactivity... radioactive iodine. What this does is, it saturates the thyroid with iodine so it can't absorb radioactive iodine. So it protects just one organ. That's why it's not an anti-radiation pill."

Neville said that after the Chernobyl nuclear reactor in the Ukraine blew up in 1986, young people developed cases of thyroid cancer at a rate more than six times as high as recorded before the disaster.

Figures from the Ukraine Radiological Institute suggest that more than 2,500 people have died because of the radiation release at Chernobyl.

The potassium iodide stockpile in Minnesota is in both tablet and liquid form. The liquid, which has a black raspberry flavor, would be administered to youngsters.

"We've done a double count," said Onalee Grady-Erickson, of the Department of Public Safety Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.

"We counted people whose homes are in the areas. Then we went back and we counted people who are likely to be in the area... such as students going to school, people at work. We'll be distributing enough [potassium iodide] so people will be able to get it where they are if ever they need it," she said.

She said the Department of Public Safety is working with a pharmacy to plan the distribution.

"Schools will need to get permission slips signed by parents for them to be allowed to use the potassium iodide," she said.

"But our first order of business," reminded Neville, "in the unlikely case of nuclear accident, is to evacuate the area."

The intention is to distribute the potassium iodide, and have people store it at home or wherever they might need it.

The distribution of the potassium iodide will occur by February of 2007.

Both officials said they hope the potassium iodide will go the way of the fallout shelters of the 1950s and 1960s, never needed, but there just in case.

(Copyright 2006 by KARE. All Rights Reserved.)