Fear that radioactive materials from an industrial cylinder of Cesium-137 that went missing last month could turn up again has led officials about 200 kilometers away to intervene.
Officials in the eastern province of Rayong ordered a factory there to return 16 bags containing 12.4 tons of “red dust” from the smelting plant where Cesium-137 was discovered Sunday to be returned to Prachinburi province, where the radioactive cylinder first went missing about a month ago.
The Rayong factory had received the steel mill red dust from the smelting facility on March 3. It was reportedly kept in bags located in a enclosed area. The factory was ordered to suspend operations for at least three days.
Fear that radioactive dust could blow long distances to contaminate ecosystems and poison people who inhale it have gripped many Thais fearing a repeat of a 2000 incident…
