Radioactive Substance Found in Santa Monica
UPDATE: The radioactive substance has been identified as medical grade iodine which is used for thyroid cancer treatment. The garbage truck's radiation sensor was tripped at 9 a.m. after nearing the garbage bin.
Fire crews blocked off the parking lot outside Albertson's grocery store in Santa Monica while a hazardous materials team investigated a low-level radioactive substance which was found inside a trash bin close by.
The store was not evacuated but the parking lot has been blocked off.
"We do have firefighters inside the Albertson's doing radiation monitoring,'' Santa Monica Fire Department Chief Mark Bridges told KNX Newsradio.
"They are not getting any radiation readings inside the store, but outside we're getting above-normal readings."
It is still not confirmed how the medical water got into the trash bin.
