Choppers to scan background radiation as Super Bowl security measure starting tomorrow | NJ.com

Residents in northern New Jersey and New York City will see a low-flying helicopter in the upcoming days as it surveys naturally occurring background radiation as a security measure for the upcoming Super Bowl, officials said today.

The U.S. National Nuclear Security Administration will use a twin-engine Bell 412 helicopter equipped with radiation sensing technology, flying in a grid covering about 10 square miles at altitudes of 150 feet or higher at about 80 miles per hour, according to the New Jersey Office of Emergency Management.

The flights will start on Jan. 21 and continue through Jan. 25.

“If sometime in the future you have a reason to be looking for something radiological, it’s very necessary to have the original background,” Joseph Krol of the National Nuclear Security Administration told the Associated Press in a recent article.

“The measurement of naturally occurring radiation to establish baseline levels is a routine security and emergency preparedness activity,” according to the state OEM alert on the upcoming helicopter flights. “The NJ State Police are partnering with the NNSA to make the public aware of the upcoming flights and insure that citizens who see the low-flying aircraft are not alarmed.”

The New Jersey State Police confirmed the helicopter background radiation survey is directly related to security for Super Bowl XLVIII which will kick off on Feb. 2 at Metlife Stadium in East Rutherford.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2014/01/choppers_to_scan_background_radiation_as_super_bowl_security_measure_starting_tomorrow.html