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Radiation Concerns

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, and the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA) have all stated no public health risks are expected in the United States.  The U.S. EPA, which regularly monitors for radioactivity through a national network of monitoring stations, says no harmful doses of radiation will reach territories, Alaska, Hawaii, or the West Coast. The Indiana Department of Homeland Security is also continually monitoring the situation in Japan.

There has been no reported increase in radiation levels in Indiana compared to normal background levels prior to the incident.  Health and safety experts do not expect to see levels of radiation in the atmosphere which are a health concern.

Hoosiers should not take Potassium Iodide (KI) supplements in response to the nuclear power plant explosions in Japan.  It’s simply not indicated or necessary and can cause serious health problems in some cases.

For more information on radiation see the following websites:
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, http://www.cdc.gov/
Food and Drug Administration, http://www.fda.gov/
Nuclear Regulatory Commission, http://www.nrc.gov/
Department of Energy, http://www.energy.gov/

Nuclear Regulatory Commission/U.S. EPA Official Statement

Official: U.S. Safe from Japanese Radiation

Tuesday, March 15, 2011 the head of the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) stated that it is not likely that harmful levels of radiation from Japan’s damaged nuclear reactors would reach Hawaii or the United States west coast. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has confirmed the NRC’s finding in an official statement (Monday, March 21, 2011) on the air monitoring effort.

How To Prepare An Emergency Kit

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