Radioactive Material Found In Peninsula Shed To Undergo Tests

SAN CARLOS, CA — Suspected radioactive material identified as radium 286 and cobalt 57 inside the shed of an unoccupied San Carlos home on Cedar Street will now be further tested by the California Department of Public Health.

Still, the area has been cleared and the substances pose no danger to the public, Redwood City Fire Chief Stan Maupin told Patch Friday morning.

The material has since been removed and the street reopened.

A hazardous materials showed up at the house Thursday evening and narrowed the search to the door of a shed on the property.

Following a two-hour call to the house that has closed off the street between Arroyo and Brittan avenues, the material was confirmed as radioactive but left on the premises.

Once the material tested positive, the HazMat team backed off from the 10- by 10-foot shed to call in the state crew with better capabilities to deal with such radioactivity, Maupin explained.

"We swept the house, and the entire house is completely clear," he added.

According to city officials, the man who lived in the home died earlier this year. His family members notified the city at midday Thursday about some containers that may contain radioactive material.

—Bay City News contributed to this report.