» EMERGENCY OPERATIONS CENTER - 03/17/11 :
NO CURRENT SIGN RADIATION THREAT WILL HIT COUNTY
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE :
Tulare County Public Health & OES Advises No Radiation Threats Currently Exist
VISALIA - Tulare County Health & Human Services Agency Department of
Public Health and Office of Emergency Services (OES) want to emphasize
that the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the Nuclear Regulatory
Commission and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) state
that there is no risk expected to Tulare County, or the state of
California as a result of the radiological situation in Japan.
"At present, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission indicates Japan's
nuclear emergency presents no danger to us here," stated Dr. Karen
Haught, Tulare County Public Health Officer. "We have been in contact
with federal and state agencies responsible for monitoring radiation
levels across the West Coast and there is currently no need for
alarm."
Since there is no current risk, residents are urged to not take
potassium iodide as a precautionary measure against radiation exposure.
"It's not necessary given our current circumstances here in the
United States," added Haught. "Locally, if individuals are taking
this supplement as a precautionary measure, they should stop. No
supplement should be taken without supervision from a physician. At this
time there would be no benefit from potassium iodide, but only potential
risks of side effects."
Tulare County continues to monitor the information received, and will
update residents as the situation evolves. For more information,
interested parties can call the CDPH Public Health Information at
1-916-341-3947, or visit www.oes.ca.gov.
Residents are always encouraged to be prepared for future emergency
situations by developing their own emergency preparedness kit. Resources
and material lists are available at www.ready.gov and
www.OES.tularehhsa.org. Residents can also be prepared by registering
for AlertTC, Tulare County's mass notification system, by visiting
www.alerttc.com or calling the Tulare County Health & Human Services
Information and Referral line at 1-800-834-7121
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Allison M. Lambert
Media Specialist, Administrative Services Division
Tulare County Health & Human Services Agency
5957 South Mooney Blvd., Visalia, CA, 93277
Telephone: (559) 624-8007
Fax: (559) 740-4382
E-Mail: ALambert@tularehhsa.org
