Radioactive Material Found Inside Towed Car, Sparks Brief Hazmat Scare: FDNY

A case of radioactive material that was supposed to be used at a construction site briefly set off a scare after it was found inside a car towed to a local pound, officials say.

Authorities began investigating a report of hazardous material inside a vehicle at the NYPD Manhattan Tow Pound at West 38th Street and 12th Avenue Monday afternoon after someone noticed a Pelican case with a radioactive label inside the car, the FDNY said.

Investigators determined the vehicle belonged to someone working at a construction site who had transported the material, used for soil testing, in his own car because the marked vehicle normally dedicated to transporting such materials was not available.

The worker parked his vehicle in a tow zone, and the car got towed to the pound, where someone noticed the radioactive label and alerted authorities. 

The FDNY, hazmat teams and emergency service units responded, and tested the material and the vehicle. The material was properly taken care of, officials said. 

The worker was not charged, but he will have to pay the ticket for the tow, officials said.

-- Ida Siegal contributed to this report 

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