Nuke Plant, Feds, Drugs. Oh, No.

Jay Brockman

​
If you live or work within 10 miles of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station (SONGS), a.k.a. "the giant pair of boobs," the Feds would like to have a word with you about a little thing called radiation poisoning. EVERYONE PANIC!

Or, just look in your mailbox: SONGS Interjurisdictional Planning Committee mailed out a distribution notice over the weekend alerting residents within the 10-mile emergency planning area around the nuke plant--including parts of San Clemente, Dana Point and San Juan Capistrano--that they get a free gift of potassium iodide (KI) pills, courtesy of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC).

In 2009, the NRC decided to continue providing the pills to states with nuke plants that requested a supply, following what was intended to be a one-time gift. According to the NRC, the little bits of what is basically salt will come at a cost of $4.5 million each time the state's supplies need to be replenished--every six years.

The pill plan comes after complaints from San Clemente, plant employees, and the NRC, concerning dodgy safety practices at SONGS, which became public last year. The north-most globe, Unit 2, hasn't been restored to full power, largely because of these concerns. Though the OC Register reported that "officials say the tablet offer was already planned..."

Still, the timing with that 7.2 earthquake in Baja? Cree-pee. According to San Diego County, the nuke plant is built to withstand a 7.0 earthquake directly under the plant.

The distribution notice says KI is "not an 'anti-radiation' pill," since it only protects the thyroid gland. If you want some for you and your family anyway, you need to send back the mailer by April 30, 2010.