PORT OF BALTIMORE ADDS GAMMA RAY SCANNER

PORT OF BALTIMORE ADDS GAMMA RAY SCANNER    A new system that uses gamma rays to search containers and vehicles has been installed at the port of Baltimore.
   The vehicle and cargo inspection system, or VACIS, was manufactured by Science Applications International Corp. as a joint project between the U.S. Customs Service, the Office of National Drug Control Policy, and Defense Department.
   The mobile, non-intrusive detection system can be deployed and set up in 15 minutes. It can scan eight containers an hour, as well as vehicles as long as 125 feet.
   The unit is part of the port’s security improvements “to toughen our supply chain,” said Jim White, executive director of the Maryland Port Administration.