By Bonnie Urfer
Not to be left out of New Year’s Eve festivities, the Department of Energy’s National Security Administration conducted its yearly radiation detection flights using twin-engine Bell 412 low-flying helicopters over the Las Vegas Strip on December 29 and 31. The flyovers, considered a normal part of “security and emergency preparedness activities,” completed surveillance in a grid pattern, at about 80 mph for two hours per area. The U.S. employs numerous Aerial Measuring Systems with pilots and specialized teams on call 24 hours per day, year round, capable of responding to radiation releases and operating out of Nellis Air Force Base in Nevada and Joint Base Andrews in Maryland. The system is in direct communication with national laboratories. AMS services the Super Bowl, political conventions, and high-profile events such as the presidential inauguration. The agency claims that within hours of radiation detection, the contaminated area is mapped and decision–making is underway for remediation. — energy.gov/nnsa; Los Alamos Daily Post, Dec. 28, 2022
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