The local boards of health are making potassium iodide tablets available to the public at the town halls. These tablets can protect us from thyroid cancer in case of nuclear radiation exposure. This is good.

However, how can we even contemplate such a situation without horror? Radiation exposure would come from an accident at the Pilgrim Nuclear Power Plant in Plymouth — just 45 miles north of Vineyard Haven. This is an old plant with a history of multiple problems, shutdowns and slow downs in the last year. It is the same design as the Fukushima nuclear power plant in Japan that even now, three years after a meltdown, is releasing radiation into the air and water.

If there is an accident at Pilgrim we are not safe from radiation exposure on Martha’s Vineyard. There is no evacuation plan. Our Island would not be habitable. Thyroid cancer is only one of many sicknesses caused by radiation.

We need to do whatever we can to close this facility down. You can:

Write the owner, Entergy (energy-nuclear.com).

Write the Nuclear Regulatory Commission: Allison Macfarlane, Chairman, US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Mail Stop O-16G4, Washington, D.C., 20555.

Write/call your legislators (Sen. Dan Wolf, Rep. Tim Madden, Rep. Bill Keating) and your governor (Deval Patrick).

For further information about how you can help, contact capedownwinders.org or call Cynthia Aguilar at 508 693-6078.

Jeri Dantzig

Vineyard Haven

Zee Gamson

Chilmark