ML19296B229
| ML19296B229 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 01/04/1980 |
| From: | Ahearne J NRC COMMISSION (OCM) |
| To: | Tsongas P SENATE |
| Shared Package | |
| ML19296B230 | List: |
| References | |
| NUDOCS 8002200299 | |
| Download: ML19296B229 (1) | |
Text
/prag[o, UNITED STATES
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E NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION
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.vASW YRON, D. C. 20555 January 4, 1980 CO CH AIR M AN The Honorable Paul E. Tsongas United States Senate Washington, D. C.
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Dear Senator Tsongas:
I am writing in response to your letter of July 23, 1979 concerning the use of potassium iodide as a prophylactic agent in the event of radio-iodine release from an NRC licensed facility. The NRC has been aware for some time that potassium iodide is an effective defense against excessive thyroid dose due to radioiodine intake.
This is evidenced by the fact that in March 1977, revision 1 to Regulatory Guide 1.101, Emergency Planning for Nuclear Power Plants, included a recomendation that licensees consider using radioprotective drugs (e.g., individual thyroid protection) for persons within the exclusion area. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has also stated that the drug is effective and safe.
Over the past months, the NRC has come to the position that the use of potassium iodide as a thyroid blocking agent is an appropriate part of any complete radiological emergency preparedness p' tan.
Recently the FDA approved a new drug application for the manufacturing of potassium iodide for use during nuclear emergencies. This eliminates one of the previous obstacles to implementing a thyroid blocking program.
The only remain:ng question on the use of potassium iodide relates to the extent that it should be used during nuclear emergencies.
There is general agreement among the staff that the drug should be used at places when institutional controls could be maintained for extended periods of time (e.g., reactor control rooms, hospitals, jails, etc.).
Staff has been requested to further examine the use of potassium iodide for these places plus others. Subsequent to receipt of staff's analyris, the Commission will review and make a decision on the extent thi.t potassium iodide should be stockpiled and used during nuclear emergencies.
In addition, I am enclosing a copy of a letter I recently sent to Princeton University Professor, Frank von Hippel, also regarding the use of potassium iodide.
We will keep you informed of future developments regarding this important issue.
Sincerely, i -[
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[JohnF.Ahearne v
Enclosure:
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December 14, 1979 t.
t CHAIRMAN Professor Frank von Hippel Princeton University Center for Environmental Studies The Engineering Quadrangle Princeton, Ne Jersey 08540
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y Dear Dr.
on Hippel:
I Thank you for your letter of June 11, 1979 with a copy of your recent letter to Science, regarding the distribution of potassium iodide (KI) to the public in a radiological emergency. Because there have been almost weekly changes in the information I could give you, I have delayed our reply until now.
The NRC Staff has been aware for some time that potassium iodide can be an effective defense against excessive thyroid dose due to radiciodine intake.
The FDA issued a Federal Register notice (43 FR 58790) in December 1978.
This notice has the practical effect, as we see it, of removing certain previous restrictions to the non-prescription distribution of KI in an emergency.
In the Federal Register notice, FDA also invited new drug appli-cations for the mass production of KI tablets for over-the-counter distribution in an emergency. Recently, the FDA approved an application for the manufacture of potassium iodide for use during emergencies. These actions by the FDA remove the legal impediments to the provisions for mass distribution and stockpiling of KI by State and Federal agencies.
Some concerns have been expressed by some members of our staff with respect to provisions for the broadcast distribution of KI to the general public.
The enclosed staff memoranda on the subject provide some perspective on r
these concerns.
The staff is concerned that potassium iodide is only effec-tive if taken shortly before or after radiciodine intake and prote-ts only the thyroid, whereas other protective actions could provide proteccion for all organs.
In many instances, these other protective actions could be consummated before, and possibly more easily than, the broadcast distribution of KI.
Of course, where institutional controls can be maintained for lengthy periods (e.g., in hospitals, prisons or reactor control rooms), KI has a greater potential for use in an emergency.
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Dr. Frank von Hippel.
However, you will note in paragraph 2 of the enclosed August 15, 1979 memorandum for Commissioner Ahearne from Harold Denton that the majority of the NRC staff believe that the use of KI as a thyroid blocking agent is an appropriate part of a complete emergency preparedness program. As part of cur program for improving emergency planning activities, we will determine how KI can best be integrated into a total protective action preparedness program.
Such a determination will include an evaluation of the effectiveness and
' easonableness of KI distribution at large distances where post-accident evacuation might not be feasible and sheltering might not be effective.
I have also enclosed a copy of a recent study by Sandia Laboratories, i
Examination of Offsite Radiological Emergency Protective Measures For Nuclear h
Reactor Accidents Involving Core-Melt, which addresses the relative efficacies of evacuation, sheltering and iodine prophylactics as protective measures.
As you can see fron. examination of the study, these protective actions could provide benefits during radiological emergencies.
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I am pleased that your letter has prompted the staff to bring these insights to my attention, and I am glad to share them with you.
Sincere y, 1
Jo,n F. Ahearne
Enclosures:
1.
Internal Staff Memos 2.
Sandia Study E
,