For Immediate Release
Thursday, July 25, 2024 | 9:00 a.m. |Windsor and Essex County
If you live in the Town of Amherstburg and had previously obtained KI pills, they are nearing their expiration date. Amherstburg residents will be able to pick up a new package of KI pills at the Amherstburg Town Hall Fire Station located at 271 Sandwich Street South, Amherstburg on Saturday, July 27, 2024, between 9am to 12pm.
The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit (WECHU), in partnership with the Town of Amherstburg, will be distributing Potassium Iodide (KI) pills to Amherstburg residents living in the primary zone and surrounding areas including Boblo Island. The primary zone is 16.1 km from Enrico Fermi 2 Nuclear Generating Station.
After receiving new KI pills, residents can safely dispose of expired KI pills in their household garbage or drop them off at their local pharmacy.
For Windsor-Essex County residents living outside of the Town of Amherstburg, please visit our website for more information on when you can register for your kit.
KI pills block the thyroid from absorbing radioactive iodine which may be released during a nuclear incident. In the very unlikely event of a nuclear emergency, KI pills would help to prevent the long-term development of thyroid cancer.
KI pills are only to be taken when instructed by the Chief Medical Officer of Health for Ontario. They should be stored in a safe, dry, and accessible place along with your 72-hour emergency kit.
While the level of risk has not changed at Fermi 2, the regulatory framework for Canadian nuclear installations has been updated. The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) has mandated that all residents within the primary zone of a nuclear installation have KI pills available in their homes. While Fermi 2 is not regulated by the CNSC, the WECHU and the Town of Amherstburg want the residents living within the primary zone of Fermi 2 to be as prepared as all other Canadian residents.
For more information on KI pills and KI pill distribution, please visit www.wechu.org/KI or call 519-258-2146 ext. 4445.