Wednesday, December 9, 2009

White House Is Urged to Help States With Nuclear Plants Stockpile Thyroid Drug

From The New York Times:
After the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, Congress passed a law instructing the federal government to help states build bigger stocks of a simple, cheap drug to protect people near nuclear power plants in the event of an accident or terrorist attack. But the 2002 law left a legal loophole allowing the White House to forgo distribution if officials found that there was a better way to prevent cancer than administering the thyroid drug, potassium iodide. And after years of delays, the Bush administration dropped the plan in 2007, saying evacuations would be a better alternative. Now advocates are trying again, bargaining on a new administration that is re-examining Bush-era policies.
Read more

No comments: