27
Should local people be issued with iodine tablets in case of a major incident?
Any decision to distribute stable iodine tables is the responsibility of the NSW Government, not ANSTO. ANSTO views the distribution of tablets as unnecessary. Even if there were an incident, the levels of radioactivity released would not be such as to require the administration of stable iodine to the community. In the United States, tablets have never been distributed to residents living in the vicinity of research reactors, although some have been issued to people living near power reactors.
ANSTO regularly holds Community Discussions that all interested people are invited to attend. To find out more about the discussions visit the relevant part of our website. People living near ANSTO in particular might find the information here useful.
The Community Discussion part of our website also discusses many other aspects of safety in relation to ANSTO. You can also see the Emergency Arrangements at Lucas Heights brochure for further information.