Fed solicits Potassium Iodide

[ditchmedic]

Up to 14,000,000 doses :confused:
https://www.fbo.gov/index?s=opportunity&mode=form&id=5cd0c1800435272c80ad292aeb9d1ba7&tab=core&tabmode=list

[Brownwater Riverrat 13]

You've been doing some good intell work, keep it up!

Line No. 001; potassium iodide tablet, 65mg, unit dose package of 20s; 700,000 packages (of 20s)

(v) Delivery is required on or before February 1, 2014. Delivery will be made to: DHHS, SSC, Bldg #5 Receiving Dock, PErry Point,MD 21902

Looks like the Dept. of Holy Scrotum's is getting ready for some Nuclear fallout.

[ditchmedic]

I would imagine this is related to the radiation from the Fukushima plant reaching the west coast sometime soon, BUT.......I thought they were saying there is nothing to worry about.

[Possom]

I heard here a few days ago that reactor #3 is in meltdown again. "Mystery steam" as the news report put it. Has started to rise from the rubble again. The scenario I heard is that the containment pool holding spent fuel rods has pieces of active fuel in it and reacting with the water. When the water is all boiled out of the containment pool the spent fuel rods will melt down. When they melt down there will be another spike of radiation being spit out into the atmosphere and into the ocean.

That might explain the purchase. Glad I don't live on the pacific coast.

[ak474u]

I bet they're re-stocking outdated/expired stockpile

[Fidel MD]

I bet they're re-stocking outdated/expired stockpile

And it's only 700,000 courses of treatment.....you have to take it for 20 days or so

[Stormfeather]

I bet they're re-stocking outdated/expired stockpile

From everyone Ive talked to in the Chem units, that is the most probable thing. Apparently GSA buys this stuff in such huge bulk packages, then distributes it out to all the entities that purchased it the last time. So when it expires, it all expires at one time, and across all the agencies, it has to be replaced at the same time. Bureaucratic expediency at its finest.

[Brownwater Riverrat 13]

This is what's called "brainstorming" great work guys. OK, now let's get to work on that bullet purchase thing again........

[ditchmedic]

From everyone Ive talked to in the Chem units, that is the most probable thing. Apparently GSA buys this stuff in such huge bulk packages, then distributes it out to all the entities that purchased it the last time. So when it expires, it all expires at one time, and across all the agencies, it has to be replaced at the same time. Bureaucratic expediency at its finest.

Makes sense

[MegaCPC]

14 million doses isn't really a whole lot in the grand scheme of things. It is an interesting coincidence with the less than thrilling information about Fukushima coming out, but I think AK and Storm are on the mark.

[Brownwater Riverrat 13]

So here's a question for the group. Have you stocked any for yourselves and the family? Uh............yes.

[Stormfeather]

Nope, I will use red wine instead.

[Stormfeather]

Just found the justifications on the feds ordering, looks like it is exactly like I was thinking and was rumored, with an added plus that it looks like Nuclear Power Plants hand this stuff out to residents in the area like its flintstone vitamins!

New potassium iodide supply available to residents near SC's nuclear power plants
http://www.carolinalive.com/news/story.aspx?id=890268#.UsTaR8KA1D8

[bacpacker]

Good info Stormy.

[ditchmedic]

I had heard another version that it was to be given to west coast residents "to build resistance".

FidelMD can correct me if im wrong but the purpose of Potassium Iodide is to essentialy fill the thyroid so it cant accept any radioactive idione. So that theory is out the door.

[Fidel MD]

I had heard another version that it was to be given to west coast residents "to build resistance".

FidelMD can correct me if im wrong but the purpose of Potassium Iodide is to essentialy fill the thyroid so it cant accept any radioactive idione. So that theory is out the door.

You are correct.

The thyroid gland is in the neck, and uses elemental iodine to make hormones that control how your body makes energy, other proteins, and utilizes other hormones. Because it is made of tissue that is constantly 'busy', it is subject to damage by radiation - especially radioactive iodine (131-I) which chemically acts just like iodine you would normally eat in your diet (sea vegetables, sea food, eggs).

Having radioactive iodine in there is a bad thing - it is an alpha emitter, and the alpha particles can cause damage to the thyroid cells while they are growing and reproducing. This can cause cancer.

KI works by flooding your body with clean iodine. Once your body reaches a certain limit, it stops storing iodine for awhile (you pee out the rest). That keeps your thyroid from absorbing radioactive iodine, it is treated as excess and eliminated.

So, in a nuclear fallout situation (war or power plant accident) taking KI can be helpful - but only if you take it as soon as you know about a possible exposure, and take 130 mg of it it for around 7-14 days (which is why it's packed in 20's). The plan is to clean up the stuff or move people out of exposure areas so longer dosing isn't required (good luck with that).

The licensing requirements for nuclear power plants include them providing Ki to all residents within 10 miles (I think it is) of the power plant, in case of an accident - and since the tablets get hard after a few years, they have to be refreshed. Old hard tablets don't dissolve in your gut, and won't work well.

Also, since it can take years for a thyroid cancer to develop, younger people are more sensitive than older, who are more likely to die from other causes before thyroid cancer kills them. Some recommendations say that people over 45 don't need KI therapy (I have it for us, anyway). KI only protects against 131-I, which has a short half-life of 8 days, doesn't remove any radioactive iodine in your body, doesn't protect against any other radioactive isotope from any source. There are many other agents, some quite dangerous that can deal with specific exposures to other radionuclides.


And just to keep things in perspective, I offer the following links:


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Banana_equivalent_dose


https://xkcd.com/radiation/

[Twitchy]

That xkcd. There really is one for any situation.

[greg48]

I know there are sometimes there is a good explanation, like I've said before, I'm not the Black Helicopter, conspiracy behind every tree sorta guy, BUT? Sometimes I get the idea DHS and FEMA and a few other agencies are getting ready for something big? Anyone ever get the idea when Congress did an investigation on EMPs etc...they might of been telegraphing something?

[Brownwater Riverrat 13]

Actually......yeah, and this great thing called the internet gives the people this vast information network where they can go diggin up all this intell and make their own assessment of what they think these alphabet soup agencies are up to. Granted we have to decide what is real and what is not real, reasons for procurement is another thing. 1+1=EMP x ChemBio = martial law........beans, bullets, band aids. One has to decide what one must react to and prepare for themselves.

The govt. procurement websites if you know how to dig and you know what your looking at can really surprise you. You'll find power point presentations from security companies for their SOPs, just as an example. It can get real interesting, you just have to dig, it takes time.