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Port Containers Get Nuclear Screening

New radiation screening portals at the Port of Wilmington began operation Wednesday.
(c) north carolina ports
New radiation screening portals at the Port of Wilmington began operation Wednesday.

By Megan V. Williams

Wilmington, NC – Starting Wednesday, every cargo container leaving the Port of Wilmington will be screened for radiation.

U.S. Customs and Border Protection will monitor the new radiation detectors at the Port's container gate.

The sensor portals are intended to screen for potential nuclear explosives, but may also be triggered by legal sources, such as some medical equipment. Any truck that sets off the alarms will be pulled aside for a secondary check.

With the installation of these sensors, the Port's South Gate on Shipyard Boulevard becomes the only route for trucks to exit the port. Previously, a minor percentage of port traffic left through another gate.

Similar screening systems are in place at other major U-S ports.
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