CBP says gauge caused radiation on Maersk ship

CBP says gauge caused radiation on Maersk ship    U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers discovered the presence of radioactive cobalt during a routine boarding inspection of the 'Toledo,' a Maersk containership, in the Port of Los Angeles last week.
   CBP laboratory personnel subsequently determined that a gauge used to test the vessel's fire extinguishing system had been the source of the radioactive emission.
   'Tests determined the source posed no threat,' CBP said in a statement.
   During the boarding on the evening of Jan. 26, CBP officers were alerted to the possible presence of radioactivity by personal radiation detectors worn on their belts. They found the greatest intensity of radioactivity near the ceiling of the ship's engine storage room. By noon the next day, a radiation assistance team had declared the emitting gauge to be harmless.
   The 'Toledo' had arrived at Los Angeles on a voyage from Kwang Yang, South Korea.