The mayor of a New Jersey town raised concerns on Tuesday that recent drone sightings over the state could be connected to missing radioactive material, although federal authorities have assured that the amount in question poses no significant danger.
Belleville Mayor Michael Melham stated that the drones flying in a grid formation over his town in Essex County seem to be “looking for something.”
“What might they be looking for? Maybe that’s radioactive material,” Melham told Fox TV’s “Good Day New York.”
Melham further explained, “It was a shipment. It arrived at its destination. The container was damaged, and it was empty.”
Earlier this week, the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission issued a warning about a piece of medical equipment used in cancer scans that went “missing in transit” on December 2 while being transported from the Nazha Cancer Center in Newfield, located in Gloucester County, southern New Jersey.
The item, a medical device model Eckert & Ziegler HEGL-0132, was supposed to be properly disposed of, but its shipping container was found to be damaged and empty when it reached its destination, according to the agency.
This medical device, referred to as a “pin source,” contains a very small amount of the radioactive substance Germanium-68, which is used in PET scanners to ensure their accuracy.
The radiation it contains is classified as less than a Category 3 on the International Atomic Energy Agency’s scale, meaning it is “very unlikely to cause permanent injury to individuals or contain a very small amount of radioactive material that would not cause any permanent injury.”
The missing equipment sparked concern on social media, with some people speculating that the drones flying over New Jersey might be searching for the missing radioactive material.
The missing device, officials confirmed, is used in cancer scans.
The theory was also promoted by John Ferguson, CEO of a remote-aircraft-system company based in Kansas, who in a video viewed nearly 3 million times on X suggested that the drones are attempting to “smell” a gas leak, radioactive material, or something else.
“The only reason why you would ever fly an unmanned aircraft at night is if you’re looking for something,” Ferguson said in the video, emphasizing that he does not believe the drones pose a danger to the public.
The idea gained further attention when podcast host Joe Rogan shared his concerns about the situation, saying that Ferguson’s video left him “very concerned” about the drones.
Residents and lawmakers in the tri-state area have expressed frustration over the lack of clarification from federal officials regarding the ongoing drone sightings, which have been reported for over a month.
The Biden administration has continuously downplayed the situation.
White House National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby has stated that the drones do not pose a public safety threat, adding that many of the sightings reported are actually of manned aircraft.
In response, the Department of Homeland Security and the FBI announced on Monday that they are now deploying drone detection technology and infrared cameras to assess the potential threat posed by the unidentified flying objects.
{Matzav.com}