PORT CHESTER, N.Y. (June 17, 2026) — A Village of Port Chester sanitation vehicle was detained by Westchester County after radiation contamination was detected during a dropoff at a regional waste transfer facility Tuesday morning, village officials said.
The village issued notices to residents in the vicinity of Shelley Avenue, Robert Avenue and Hawley Avenue warning that the truck had been taken out of service. Officials said they distributed the notices to limit the number of additional trucks that could be potentially impacted by such contamination.
According to the village, standard safety protocols require that when radioactive material is detected, the vehicle is detained at the facility until the material decays to acceptable levels — a process that can take days or, in some cases, weeks. Officials said a single contaminated load can remove an entire sanitation truck from service, significantly impacting village operations and reducing the ability to efficiently collect and manage refuse throughout the community.
The loss of a collection vehicle places considerable strain on sanitation services, including route delays, reduced collection efficiency, increased operational costs, and challenges in maintaining the level of service residents expect, the village said.
Officials reminded residents that radioactive materials must never be disposed of in household garbage. The village noted that individuals undergoing cancer treatment or nuclear medicine procedures may generate waste products that contain detectable levels of radioactivity, and urged anyone in that situation to consult a healthcare provider regarding proper handling and disposal of related materials before placing them in the trash.
The village asked all residents under the care of a physician who prescribes treatments or medication regimens utilizing radiation or radioactive elements to arrange for the disposal of contaminated refuse privately and to consult their physician for guidance.
“The Village of Port Chester cannot collect radioactive material,” officials stated.
The village said resident cooperation is essential to protecting sanitation workers, maintaining reliable refuse collection services and preventing unnecessary disruptions to village operations.
This article was prepared with the assistance of AI tools under the direction and editing of Robert Cox.
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