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http://www.mirion.com/
800 Research Pkwy.,
Meriden, CT 06450
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Fax: (203) 235-1347
Mirion is a leading provider of innovative products and services for radiation measurement, detection and monitoring, as well as cutting-edge instrumentation for research and scientific exploration on Earth and space.
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In July the U.S. Department of Homeland Security a ...
September 10, 2006
In July the U.S. Department of Homeland Security awarded contracts worth $1.1 billion to Canberra Industries and two other companies to install nuclear detectors at major seaports and border crossings. Canberra's share was worth $11.7 million. As part of the increased security in response to the at�tacks of Sept. 11, 2001, the companies will develop and install more accurate systems to detect radioactive substances ar�riving in the United States. "It is a win-win for the town and the company. It will help keep people employed," Anthony D. Tomassetti, a member of the City Council's Economic Development, Housing and Zoning Committee, said at the time. This was one of the largest contracts in company history, and a big win in the burgeoning field of homeland security. "We're thrilled to have won the award," said Wayne Richardson, vice president of sales and marketing. "We've been engaged in the development phase for more than a year, and out of 11 companies that were originally selected to go for testing, we were one of three to win awards." Trudy Magnolia, the assistant economic development director, said the contracts meant job security to the city's residents who are employed at the company, which manufactures instruments that detect and analyze radiation. It also put Canberra on the map for other contracts that may come down the road.The detectors will first be in�stalled at the Port of New York and New Jersey, said Michael Chertoff, the secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The estimated 670 detectors in place at ports and borders have continually frustrated Homeland Security officials because of false positives set off by medical supplies, cat litter, banana truckloads and other materials with low levels of naturally occurring radiation. The new detectors are expected to reduce about 831,000 false positives each year to just 15,000. "We don't want to send the red flag up every time someone moves a shipment in of perfectly respectable granite," Chertoff said. The department wants to have 80 of the new detectors in place on roads, rails and seaports by this fall, Chertoff said, and 1,400 for the nation's 317 ports of entry by 2011. The new scanners cost an estimated $350,000 each - about double the price of each detector now in place. Raytheon Co. and Thermo Electron Corp., both of Waltham, Mass., also were awarded contracts.
Canberra, at 800 Research Parkway, makes measurement equipment used in waste analy�sis and environmental cleanup, including the cleanup and de�commissioning of nuclear facilities. Its customers include the U.S. Department of Energy and the Tennessee Valley Authority. Canberra introduced a homeland security line in 2002, which includes instruments that can detect radioactive material concealed in trucks, and in the case of an accident, help monitor cleanup, determining when an area is safe again.
In 2000, a French company, COGEMA, acquired the com�pany. In 2002, COGEMA came under the larger umbrella of the AREVA Group, a $9 billion per- year corporation with op�erations and a market presence across the world. Information from The Associated P�ress was included in this story. (from Record-Journal, 9/10/06)
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