County health officials: No radiation danger in Santa Cruz County

Santa Cruz County health officials announced this afternoon that there is no danger, nor is there expected to be any danger in Santa Cruz from radiation related to Japan’s nuclear emergency.
The Santa Cruz County Public Health Department is in contact with experts at the California Department of Public Health and will immediately notify the public if there is a change.
County Health Official Poki Namkung announced today that it is not recommended to take potassium iodide (KI) tablets to counteract the effects of radiation because there is no radiation detected at this time, nor is it expected to make it to California in an inhalable form.
Namkung also warned that potassium iodide may be harmful to some people, particularly those with thyroid disease or those allergic to iodine, shellfish or seafood.
The announcement came five days after an 8.9 magnitude earthquake in Japan knocked out the cooling system of four nearby nuclear reactors. The reactors are still live and the surrounding area has been evacuated because of nuclear radiation.
However, California is more than 5,000 miles away from Japan.
Residents may call the California Department of Public Health hotline between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. with specific questions about the incident. The phone number is 916-341-3947. Information about radiation is available at www.cdc.gov