A neighborhood in San Carlos was given the "all clear" after previously discovered hazardous material was removed to a secure state facility outside the county, according to officials, San Mateo County offficials said.
Authorities in San Carlos closed down a block of Cedar Street Thursday in order to remove hazardous material from a home in the White Oaks neighborhood.
A material suspected to contain low to moderate levels of radioactivity was identified in a backyard shed at a home in the 1000 block of Cedar Street Thursday, according to the city of San Carlos.
The dangerous material had to be properly managed and disposed of, and the fire department was ill-equipped to handle radioactive material, so they had to call in state crews to remove the items Friday.
Officials said the material did not pose a danger to neighbors, but for precuationary reasons, they would not be removing it until Friday.
"We did a complete survey around the shed; it appears that the shed is containing the radioactive materials completely," said Chief Stan Maupin of the Redwood City-San Carlos Fire Department. "So, our approach now is that we have the state coming in tomorrow with their experts, and they’re gonna remove the material tomorrow."
Burton Park and the San Carlos Youth Center were also closed down "as a precautionary measure," city officials say.
Fire officials decided the area was safe and reopened streets later Thursday. No street closures were planned for Friday while the material is removed.
