http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,58888,00.html

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Saturday, July 27, 2002

SAN DIEGO — A small pellet of radioactive material disappeared just south of California's border with Mexico, prompting the U.S. Customs Service to put its inspectors on alert.

Mexican authorities confirmed Friday that an inch-long capsule of iridium-192 disappeared from a truck traveling in Mexico earlier this week. As a precaution, the U.S. Customs Service notified agents at five border crossings in California, said spokesman Vince Bond.

"We have adequate levels of radiation detectors at the ports of entry," Bond said. "We have not had any reports of any large radiation readings."

"There's no indication that there's any reason for concern whatsoever," said San Diego police spokesman David Cohen.

Officials from the state of Baja California launched an effort to recover the 8-inch by 6-inch cylinder containing the capsule of iridium-192, which was used by Pemex, Mexico's state-owned oil company, to X-ray its pipelines.

Iridium-192 emits potentially hazardous gamma rays commonly used to check welded joints in structures such as oil pipelines.

Although not harmful if used properly, iridium and other commonplace radioactive materials have sparked concern that, in the wrong hands, they could be used to create a radiological "dirty bomb" that would create widespread panic.

"We have no indication that this is headed for the border to be smuggled across," said Lauren Mack, a spokesman for the Immigration and Naturalization Service.

Mexico's state civil protection director, Gabriel Gomez Ruiz, said that although the capsule is radioactive, it should not pose any danger to the public. The material is enclosed in a secure fireproof container designed to withstand heavy blows, he said.

"This container is very difficult to open because of the security measures that have been taken with it," Ruiz said in a statement. It was lost from a truck between the Mexican border cities of Tijuana and Tecate, about 70 miles east of San Diego, Ruiz said. It was unclear whether the equipment was stolen or fell off the truck.

-- Anonymous, July 27, 2002

Answers

Bump

-- Anonymous, July 27, 2002

Oh joy!

-- Anonymous, July 27, 2002

'fell' off the truck?

Are we talking a 1952 dodge flatbed with missmatched tires here?

Seems to me that this stuff should be transported in sealed vehicles under lock and key.

...U.S. Customs Service to put its inspectors on alert. but "There's no indication that there's any reason for concern whatsoever," said San Diego police spokesman David Cohen.

Whose team is David Cohen on?

Iridium-192 emits potentially hazardous gamma rays commonly used to check welded joints in structures such as oil pipelines.

Although not harmful if used properly, iridium and other commonplace radioactive materials have sparked concern that, in the wrong hands, they could be used to create a radiological "dirty bomb" that would create widespread panic.

Somebody please bring Mr. Cohen up to speed, if possible.

-- Anonymous, July 27, 2002