Re: I-131 and Customs

["Edgerton, Patricia (DHS - RHB)" <PEdgerto@dhs.ca.gov>]

I for one am thankful that Customs monitors incoming passengers baggage for
possible radioactive material content. No telling what some nut may attempt
to bring into the country and I'd rather see them looking for things rather
than saying, "it can't happen here". This situation reminds me of the days
when x-ray baggage machines were beginning to be used to look for weapons
boarding aircraft. In the beginning there were many false positives and
jokes about what the security people thought was a weapon on the x-ray
screen. Fortunately, today we don't have to worry about a plane being
hijacked anymore because of the effectiveness of x-ray screening equipment
and the public's acceptance of the need to screen.
	Rather than joke about this I would think that the Rad-Safers would
offer some assistance to the US Customs Service who are protecting our
borders from all sorts of dangers. 
	If you wish to post this note on Rad-Safe by all means do so.

Don Bunn, Calif Dept Health, Radiologic Health Branch
Chief of Inspection, Compliance and Enforcement
Dbunn@dhs.ca.gov



Posted for Don by Trisha Edgerton, pedgerto@dhs.ca.gov