Regular visitors of our recycling facility have likely noticed the postings that we’ll be closed this Saturday, April 4th, for a construction project. We’ll be breaking ground on new concrete pads for 12 foot tall steel posts that will serve as mounts for our brand new Ludlum radiation detectors. 

Radioactive materials can and do enter the scrap metal recycling stream from time to time, which is problematic for several reasons: primarily, radioactive materials can cause harm to human health; and additionally, radioactive materials not properly removed from the waste stream can contaminate other recycled metals, causing newly produced materials to also be radioactive, thus spreading the problem. 

According to the U.S. EPA, common radioactive items include industrial gauges (cobalt-60, iridium-192), oil/gas piping, some medical equipment, antiques with radium paint, and old electronics. While workers at recycling facilities are trained to identify some of these common sources, items can slip through visual inspection or be hidden within a load of incoming metals, out of sight. 

Up until now, we’ve relied on hand-held radiation detectors and employee training to check identify potentially radioactive materials at our scrap metal recycling facility. While certainly better than using no detection method at all, relying on the human eye and small hand-held devices has not been an ideal system– so we’re very excited to upgrade to permanent, fixed-position radiation detectors that are capable of scanning entire vehicles as they enter the facility. 

After the initial installation of concrete pads, posts and bollards, we should be ready for full implementation and training by the end of April. Keep an eye on our YouTube channel for updates once the new equipment is installed!