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Nuclear Awareness

Home Health and Wellness Environment and Your HealthNuclear Awareness

Potassium iodide (KI) tablets

There are two nuclear generating stations in Durham Region. One is the Pickering Nuclear Generating Station. The other is the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station.

In the highly unlikely event of an accident at one of the stations, radioactive iodide may be released into the air. If that happens, potassium iodide (KI) tablets can keep you and your family safe.

Learn more about emergency preparedness.

Who needs KI tablets?

Watch our public health inspectors discuss who is eligible to receive KI tablets.

If you live or work within 10 kilometres of a station, you need to have a supply of KI tablets. Anyone living within 50 kilometres of a nuclear generating station is eligible to receive KI tablets if they want to keep a supply on hand.

Visit preparetobesafe.ca and enter your postal code to find out if you are located within the eligible zone to receive KI tablets.

How does KI work and how many tablets do I need?

This Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care fact sheet answers these questions and many more.

How to order KI tablets

The best way for most residents and businesses to order potassium iodide (KI) tablets is directly from the preparetobesafe.ca website.

If you need assistance in ordering your tablets, call the Durham Region Health Department Environmental Help Line at 905-723-3818 or 1-888-777-9613 to speak with a public health inspector.

Getting KI tablets from a pharmacy

Five local pharmacies have partnered with the Health Department and have a limited supply of KI tablets for residents located within 10 kilometres of either the Pickering or Darlington nuclear generating station. Residents can pick up their supply of KI tablets from one of the pharmacies below.

Limited quantities of KI tablets are available at the following pharmacies:

Bay Ridges Pharmacy
1794 Liverpool Rd, unit 7
Pickering, ON L1V 4G1
905-839-1123

Pickering Medical Pharmacy
1885 Glenanna Rd.
Pickering, ON L1V 6R6
905-831-8181

Liverpool Pharmacy
725 Krosno Blvd.
Pickering, ON L1W 1G4
905-839-4300

Global Drug Mart Remedy's Rx
130 Waverley Rd.
Bowmanville, ON L1C 3W9
905-623-2333

Courtice Pharmasave
2727 Courtice Rd.
Courtice, ON L1E 3A2
905-432-8888

Resources

Talk to a public health inspector

Call the Environmental Help Line at 905-723-3818 or 1-888-777-9613 to speak to a public health inspector.

Durham Nuclear Health Committee (DNHC)

DNHC is chaired by the Region's Commissioner & Medical Officer of Health. Membership of the DNHC consists of nine public members from Whitby, Oshawa, Ajax, Clarington and Pickering, who are appointed by Council; two representatives of Ontario Power Generation; and, four provincial/regional government representatives.

The DNHC acts as a forum for primarily discussing and addressing radiological emissions from nuclear facilities in Durham Region, to assess the potential environmental human health impacts.

The DNHC meets five times a year.

Check the latest agenda for current meeting location.

Request archived DNHC agendas and minutes.

Get more information about the DNHC and get your concerns addressed

For more information about the DNHC please email the Health Department.

Membership of the DNHC

Public Members
Name	Representing
Dr. Barry Neil	Ajax
Dr. David Gorman	Ajax
Janice Dusek	Ajax
Dr. John Hicks	Clarington
Veena Lalman	Clarington
Hardev Bains	Pickering
Jane Snyder	Whitby
Susan Ebata	Whitby

Alternate Public Members
Name	Representing
Dr. Lubna Nazneen	Ajax
Matthew Cochrane	Oshawa
Alan Shaddick	Whitby

Regional and Provincial Government Representatives

The Regional Municipality of Durham
Name	Email Address
Dr. Robert Kyle, Chair Commissioner & Medical Officer of Health	Robert.Kyle@durham.ca
Lisa Fortuna Director, Health Protection Division	Lisa.Fortuna@durham.ca
Mary-Anne Pietrusiak Epidemiologist	Mary-Anne.Pietrusiak@durham.ca

Ontario Ministry of the Environment, Conservation and Parks
Name	Email Address
Phillip Dunn	phillip.dunn@ontario.ca

Ontario Power Generation

Representatives
Name	Email Address
Raphael McCalla	raphael.mccalla@opg.com
Loc Nguyen	loc.nguyen@opg.com

University of Ontario Institute of Technology

Representatives
Name	Email Address
Dr. Anthony Waker	anthony.waker@uoit.ca

Secretary

Representative
Name	Email Address
Brian Devitt	brian.devitt@sympatico.ca

Committee resources and reports

Terms of Reference

Final revised terms of reference

Reports

Background information

In 1992, Ontario's Environmental Assessment Advisory Committee held public meetings regarding the suggested expansion of the Ajax Water Supply Plant and recommended that the Durham Nuclear Health Committee (DNHC) be established. After a full consultation with key stakeholders, Durham Regional Council created the DNHC in late 1995.