The "polluter pays" principle in radiation protection is clarified

The polluter pays principle always stands for the principle that polluters bear the costs for the measures they have caused. According to the Federal Council, however, clarifications and adjustments to the law are still necessary in individual cases, for example when it comes to the costs of distributing the Iodine tablets goes. According to the federal government, these costs would have to be covered by the operators of the nuclear power plants (NPPs) in their vicinity. They should even pay for the full costs.

Another amendment to the law stipulates that the costs of remediation measures at radioactively contaminated sites are to be borne by the polluters and the owners. This refers, for example, to radiological contamination caused by the use of radium luminous paint in the watch industry.

The polluter-pays principle is also to be specified for those costs that are incurred in the specific monitoring of radioactivity in the vicinity of establishments. In this context, questions relevant to data protection are also to be clarified.

Taking iodine tablets
Timely intake of iodine tablets to prevent thyroid cancer is an effective measure for children, adolescents, pregnant women and persons under 45 years of age in the event of an accident at a nuclear power plant. To ensure timely intake, the iodine tablets are pre-distributed to all households within a 50 km radius of Swiss nuclear power plants. The tablets are intended for emergency use only and may only be taken on the orders of the authorities.
According to the Federal Commission for Radiation Protection, it is no longer recommended that people over 45 years of age take iodine tablets. Affected persons over 45 years of age who do not wish to stop taking iodine tablets should discuss taking them with their doctor in advance. Source: Confederation