All Belgians To Be Given Iodine Pills In Case Of Nuclear Accident (phys.org)

mdsolar quotes a report from Phys.Org: Belgium is to provide iodine pills to its entire population of around 11 million people to protect against radioactivity in case of a nuclear accident, the health minister was quoted as saying Thursday. The move comes as Belgium faces growing pressure from neighboring Germany to shutter two ageing nuclear power plants near their border due to concerns over their safety. Iodine pills, which help reduce radiation build-up in the human thyroid gland, had previously only been given to people living within 20 kilometres (14 miles) of the Tihange and Doel nuclear plants. Health Minister Maggie De Block was quoted by La Libre Belgique newspaper as telling parliament that the range had now been expanded to 100 kilometers, effectively covering the whole country. The health ministry did not immediately respond to AFP when asked to comment. The head of Belgium's French-speaking Green party, Jean-Marc Nollet, backed the measures but added that "just because everyone will get these pills doesn't mean there is no longer any nuclear risk," La Libre reported. Belgium's creaking nuclear plants have been causing safety concerns for some time after a series of problems ranging from leaks to cracks and an unsolved sabotage incident. Yesterday, a nuclear plant in Germany was reportedly infected with a computer virus.

Comments

ISIS much?

[Anonymous Coward]

I highly doubt the failure of a Belgian nuclear plan will come as an accident. They're afraid of terrorist attacks on their nuclear plants, and are preparing by handing out iodine pills instead of eliminating the underlying threat.

Re:ISIS much?

[ShanghaiBill]

They're afraid of terrorist attacks on their nuclear plants, and are preparing by handing out iodine pills instead of eliminating the underlying threat.

You can never completely eliminate all threats. The potassium iodide tablets are a cheap and effective precaution. I have a vial of KI that cost me $2. If they buy them in bulk, they could cost far less than that. They can probably do this for less than a euro per household. So why not?

Re:ISIS much?

[AchilleTalon]

Being afraid of a terrorist attack on a nuclear plant is an unreasonable fear. A nuclear reactor isn't a nuclear bomb. Suppose they actually access the plant, how are they suppose to turn it into an actual cataclysmic event? The amount of logistic, knowledge and luck required to turn it into an actual threat is higher than many other alternatives. This fear of a terrorist attack on a nuclear plant is again largely exagerrated and fed by the anti-nuclear activists. They want the mass to perceive the nuclear plants as a perpetual, constant and actual threat against the human kind.

Re:Stupid leftist commies

[dave420]

"Thousands of terrorists"? Are you really that scared? Or just massively ignorant? Either way you are not operating rationally, and seem woefully confused about reality.