NYT: Plan to Store Anti-Radiation Pills Overdue ("slipped through cracks")

[DeepModem Mom]

Plan to Store Anti-Radiation Pills Is Overdue
By MATTHEW L. WALD

Published: October 23, 2004


WASHINGTON, Oct. 22 - Amid fears of a terrorist attack's causing a leak from a nuclear power plant, a plan to stockpile pills to protect against one of the contaminants that spreads farthest appears to have slipped through the cracks.

The Bioterrorism Act of 2002 required a study by scientists of how to store and distribute the pills, of potassium iodide, a drug that protects against radioactive iodine.

Health officials say that in the event of a big release of radiation, the pills could prevent the thyroid cancer epidemic that struck Eastern Europe after the Chernobyl disaster in 1986. The idea that terrorists want to attack a power plant was bolstered this year by President Bush in his State of the Union address, in which he said American forces had found plans for American power plants in Afghanistan.

The study, by an arm of the National Academy of Sciences and originally due to be completed in October 2002, was not finished until late last year. Mr. Bush had six months to issue guidance to state and local governments on stockpiling potassium iodide pills, but he has not done so....

(The writer of the potassium iodide provision in the 2002 law, Representative Edward J. Markey, a Massachusetts Democrat, said: "President Bush has not made America safer against a nuclear attack on our soil. He won't even implement the laws that Congress has passed to help ensure our communities are better protected against a terrorist nuclear power plant attack. This makes America unsafe.")


http://www.nytimes.com/2004/10/23/politics/23nuke.html

[aquart]

1. George knew he was lying. Unfortunately, lie or not

We are still completely vulnerable to this type of attack.

I understand BushCo has only now decided to do a little something about flight schools. Well, he couldn't have been very much afraid that someone would fly a plane into 3 Mile Island.

But someone could.

[DeepModem Mom]

2. Yep, the flight school article appeared today, too -- keeping us safe???

[maddezmom]

3. * is keeping safe is his own ass, he needs to release the CIA's 911 report