To: The United States House of Representatives, The United States Senate, and President Donald Trump
Protect America's Children from Cancer
To be delivered to The United States House of Representatives and The United States Senate.
Thyroid cancer, especially among children, is the most feared effect of radiation exposure. Whether the source is a power plant accident or a nuclear weapon, FDA approved Potassium Iodide (KI) has been proven to be highly effective at preventing the disease—and protecting our children. However, nuclear industry plans make KI available only to some children; while jeopardizing others.
Let's demand that our government make KI available to every family within a 50-mile radius of nuclear power plants.
It’s protection that costs pennies. Our children are worth it.
Thyroid cancer, especially among children, is the most feared effect of radiation exposure. Whether the source is a power plant accident or a nuclear weapon, FDA approved Potassium Iodide (KI) has been proven to be highly effective at preventing the disease—and protecting our children. However, nuclear industry plans make KI available only to some children; while jeopardizing others.
Let's demand that our government make KI available to every family within a 50-mile radius of nuclear power plants.
It’s protection that costs pennies. Our children are worth it.
Why is this important?
THE ISSUE
Our children are at risk. Our government does nothing.
There are 99 operating nuclear power reactors in the United States today. Should an accident occur, anyone under age 40, especially children, would be threatened with cancer caused by radiation. But the risk to the general public can be almost completely eliminated by a simple pharmaceutical known as KI (potassium iodide). It’s a pill that gives virtually complete protection from the threat. In volume, the pills cost pennies.
Chernobyl proved that KI works. The Soviets had some, and children who got it were protected. But children who couldn’t get the pills developed thyroid cancer at epidemic rates. In Poland, every child received KI at the time of Chernobyl, and all were protected. But in Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia, where no KI was on hand, at least 6000 children developed cancer due to the accident. Almost all were located more than 30 miles downwind. Nothing else had a similar effect. In fact, 10 years after the accident, medical researchers concluded that “except for thyroid cancer” no statistical increase in others cancers or radiation effects could be identified.
In light of the need for childhood thyroid cancer protection, our government agreed to stockpile KI. But nuclear authorities decided to restrict stockpiling efforts to just 10 miles around our power plants, even though they knew that the danger extended well-beyond this distance. This restriction means that in an emergency most children would be unable to get the pills and thousands could develop cancer. All preventable.
Radiation emergencies (from weapons or power plants) have happened in the past and are likely to happen again. Let's demand that enough KI be available to protect every child within 50-miles of our nuclear power plants. Let’s protect all of our children—not just some.
HISTORY
Following September 11, US authorities agreed to stockpile KI for individuals living near US nuclear facilities. Although the risk from low radiation levels (which lead to cancer) extended for at least 50 miles, the nuclear industry chose to focus their emergency response efforts only on high radiation levels—which kill before cancer has time to develop—and which are seldom found beyond ten-miles. The threat of cancer, and KI, is ignored. Instead, evacuation, sheltering, and food control are suggested protective measures.
EVACUATION/SHELTERING
Although any individual would be safer if they evacuate, the ability to empty cities and quickly move millions of people out of danger is far from certain. Further, millions of people all trying to leave at once would undoubtedly complicate other emergency response programs and introduce serious traffic risks.
Worse, where evacuation is not feasible, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) suggests “sheltering.” In other words, staying indoors until the danger has passed. But having millions of people remain in contaminated areas, breathing radioactive air and drinking radioactive water (from irradiated reservoirs), would be a radiological disaster. For anyone remaining in an irradiated area without KI, the cancer risk would be very high.
FOOD CONTROL
To reduce the risk, the NRC recommends the destruction of all milk and food grown on lands that are within 50 miles of a radiation release. This is necessary to prevent highly radioactive products from reaching the public where they would be eaten and cause thyroid cancer. This has never been tried, and no one knows how many farmers will comply.
But what is known is that if farms will be contaminated at 50 miles, so will the farmers—and everyone else at this distance. Only the wide availability of KI can effectively protect the millions of threatened people who live within the 50-mile range.
CONCLUSION
It is difficult to justify the government’s decision to protect some children and not others. It is difficult to understand how officials could consider food control and mass evacuations sufficient, and to deliberately choose to limit KI availability despite the known danger. It is hard to see how these actions serve America or what benefit they provide. There is no coherent reason why KI should not be added to the country’s emergency response plans.
Our officials know this. In fact, following the Chernobyl accident, a former NRC Chairman stated that “Evacuation and potassium iodide would have significantly reduced the incidence of thyroid cancer.” He called the Soviet’s callous disregard for the health of their children a “failure of a society to take care of its people.”
Surely America can do better than that.
Sign the Petition to demand that our government stockpile an adequate supply of KI to protect ALL of our children.
For additional information and documentation, go to www.KIFacts.com.
This petition is sponsored by Anbex.com.
Our children are at risk. Our government does nothing.
There are 99 operating nuclear power reactors in the United States today. Should an accident occur, anyone under age 40, especially children, would be threatened with cancer caused by radiation. But the risk to the general public can be almost completely eliminated by a simple pharmaceutical known as KI (potassium iodide). It’s a pill that gives virtually complete protection from the threat. In volume, the pills cost pennies.
Chernobyl proved that KI works. The Soviets had some, and children who got it were protected. But children who couldn’t get the pills developed thyroid cancer at epidemic rates. In Poland, every child received KI at the time of Chernobyl, and all were protected. But in Ukraine, Belarus, and Russia, where no KI was on hand, at least 6000 children developed cancer due to the accident. Almost all were located more than 30 miles downwind. Nothing else had a similar effect. In fact, 10 years after the accident, medical researchers concluded that “except for thyroid cancer” no statistical increase in others cancers or radiation effects could be identified.
In light of the need for childhood thyroid cancer protection, our government agreed to stockpile KI. But nuclear authorities decided to restrict stockpiling efforts to just 10 miles around our power plants, even though they knew that the danger extended well-beyond this distance. This restriction means that in an emergency most children would be unable to get the pills and thousands could develop cancer. All preventable.
Radiation emergencies (from weapons or power plants) have happened in the past and are likely to happen again. Let's demand that enough KI be available to protect every child within 50-miles of our nuclear power plants. Let’s protect all of our children—not just some.
HISTORY
Following September 11, US authorities agreed to stockpile KI for individuals living near US nuclear facilities. Although the risk from low radiation levels (which lead to cancer) extended for at least 50 miles, the nuclear industry chose to focus their emergency response efforts only on high radiation levels—which kill before cancer has time to develop—and which are seldom found beyond ten-miles. The threat of cancer, and KI, is ignored. Instead, evacuation, sheltering, and food control are suggested protective measures.
EVACUATION/SHELTERING
Although any individual would be safer if they evacuate, the ability to empty cities and quickly move millions of people out of danger is far from certain. Further, millions of people all trying to leave at once would undoubtedly complicate other emergency response programs and introduce serious traffic risks.
Worse, where evacuation is not feasible, the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) suggests “sheltering.” In other words, staying indoors until the danger has passed. But having millions of people remain in contaminated areas, breathing radioactive air and drinking radioactive water (from irradiated reservoirs), would be a radiological disaster. For anyone remaining in an irradiated area without KI, the cancer risk would be very high.
FOOD CONTROL
To reduce the risk, the NRC recommends the destruction of all milk and food grown on lands that are within 50 miles of a radiation release. This is necessary to prevent highly radioactive products from reaching the public where they would be eaten and cause thyroid cancer. This has never been tried, and no one knows how many farmers will comply.
But what is known is that if farms will be contaminated at 50 miles, so will the farmers—and everyone else at this distance. Only the wide availability of KI can effectively protect the millions of threatened people who live within the 50-mile range.
CONCLUSION
It is difficult to justify the government’s decision to protect some children and not others. It is difficult to understand how officials could consider food control and mass evacuations sufficient, and to deliberately choose to limit KI availability despite the known danger. It is hard to see how these actions serve America or what benefit they provide. There is no coherent reason why KI should not be added to the country’s emergency response plans.
Our officials know this. In fact, following the Chernobyl accident, a former NRC Chairman stated that “Evacuation and potassium iodide would have significantly reduced the incidence of thyroid cancer.” He called the Soviet’s callous disregard for the health of their children a “failure of a society to take care of its people.”
Surely America can do better than that.
Sign the Petition to demand that our government stockpile an adequate supply of KI to protect ALL of our children.
For additional information and documentation, go to www.KIFacts.com.
This petition is sponsored by Anbex.com.