Authorities in San Carlos have closed down a block of Cedar Street in order to remove hazardous material from a home in the White Oaks neighborhood.
A material suspected to contain low to moderate levels of radioactivity was identified in a backyard shed at a home in the 1000 block of Cedar Street Thursday, according to the city of San Carlos. The dangerous material need to be properly managed and disposed and the street will be closed indefinitely from Brittan to Arroyo.
Burton Park and the San Carlos Youth Center were also closed down “as a precautionary measure,” city officials say.
“As the site is accessed, the situation may change rapidly. Any impact on schools and residents, including evacuations, will be immediately reported to the public,” the city said in a statement.
Later, officials said the material did not pose a danger to neighbors, but for precuationary resaons, they would not be removing it until Friday.
“We did a complete survey around the shed; it appears that the shed is containing the radioactive materials completely,” said Chief Stan Maupin of the Redwood City-San Carlos Fire Department. “So, our approach now is that we have the state coming in tomorrow with their experts, and they’re gonna remove the material tomorrow.”
Maupin said the fire department is not equipped to remove radioactive material.
Fire officials decided the area was safe and reopened streets later Thursday. No street closures were planned for Friday while the material is removed.
Source: NBC Bay Area