Canada: Windsor residents receiving potassium iodide pills

The Windsor-Essex County Health Unit is distributing KI (potassium iodide) pills to Windsor residents living 80 kilometres from the Enrico Fermi 2 nuclear-generating station on the shore of Lake Erie in Michigan. The distribution is a precautionary measure. KI pills block the thyroid from absorbing radioactive iodine released during a nuclear incident. They should only be taken under the instruction of a medical officer. KI packages will be available to residents during one of four days in late February and early March. Pills should be stored in a dry, safe, and accessible place along with a 72-hour emergency kit. Previous pills near the expiration date should be discarded in household garbage or at a pharmacy.
The level of risk at Fermi 2 has not changed. However, Canadian authorities have updated their regulatory framework for nuclear installations, mandating all residents living near a nuclear plant to have KI pills available in their homes. Fermi 2 is not under Canadian regulations, but authorities still want residents living within its primary and secondary zones to be as prepared as all other Canadian citizens.