KI pills available for free this week

Those living within 10 miles of the state's five nuclear plants can pick up the tablets at various locations through Thursday. The potassium iodide pills can partially protect the thyroid gland from radiation exposure if there is a nuclear accident. "This just gives me a little extra sense of security ... but I am absolutely not scared," Kraybill said. "We have fire extinguishers in our home, but that doesn't mean we live every day in fear of fire." The state last distributed the pills in 2002, but those expired Monday, said Alice Gray, director of community health systems for the Department of Health. The state has enough tablets for the 1.2 million people living near the plants, she said.

The Patriot News