Residents near Sendai N-Plant Get Iodine Preparations

Satsumasendai, Kagoshima Pref., July 27 (Jiji Press)--The city government of Satsumasendai and Kagoshima Prefecture on Sunday provided residents near the Sendai nuclear power station with iodine preparations in case of an accident at the plant owned by Kyushu Electric Power Co. <9508>. The power company, which serves the Kyushu southwestern Japan region, moved a step closer toward reactivating the No. 1 and No. 2 reactors at the Sendai plant when the Nuclear Regulation Authority earlier this month approved a draft report that the two reactors satisfy new safety standards introduced in July last year. It is the first time that iodine preparations have been distributed based on the Japanese government's guidelines on measures to be taken in the event of nuclear disasters. Of 4,715 residents aged 3 or over in a 5-kilometer radius of the Sendai plant, about 2,700 who have cleared checkups by doctors at a prior briefing session or at medical institutions are allowed to receive the iodine preparations. On Sunday, the iodine preparations were distributed to 2,420 people. Thirty-nine people declined to receive them. Iodine preparations are effective in reducing levels of radiation inside the body. Kenichi Shiota, a 76-year-old local fisherman, received iodine preparations for himself and six other family members including a grandchild who is a third grader at an elementary school. Noting that the doses for an adult and child are not the same, Shiota said he is concerned whether they can take the iodine preparations properly in a panicky situation after a possible nuclear accident. The municipal and prefectural governments plan to hold another briefing session in September for residents who were unable to attend the previous meeting, in order to provide them with iodine preparations. Shigeto Chiba, an official at the Kagoshima prefectural government, said that more briefing sessions may be held if necessary so that iodine preparations will be distributed to as many residents as possible. All of Japan's 48 nuclear power reactors are currently offline. The No. 1 and No. 2 reactors at the Sendai plant are expected to become the first to be brought back online. END