The Great Northern Highway, along which crews searched for the radioactive capsule.
The package was supposed to contain a pea-sized radioactive capsule used in routine mining activities.
Instead, workers found it empty on January 26.
The Great Northern Highway, along which crews searched for the radioactive capsule. (Photo: Martin Kraft viaWikimedia Commons,CC BY-SA 3.0)
An epic six-day search along an 870-mile stretch of the Great Northern Highway began.
Only 8 mm long and containing Caesium-137, finding it seemed impossible in the vast Australian wilds.
Crews with radioactive detection equipment traveled slowly along the sides of the highway on which the capsule was lost.
Looking towards the Pilbara region where the capsule was found. (Photo: Yewenyi viaWikimedia Commons,CC BY-SA 3.0)
The capsule could have emitted harmful radiation for about 300 years as its element slowly decayed.
However, it is acting like largely no harm, no foul here.
Robertson added, This is a great result for the community of Western Australia.
Here’s the#radioactive#capsulein question, which was found 74kms south of Newman at 11am today.
Looking towards the Pilbara region where the capsule was found.
