WESTPORT–Starting next month, waste brought to the Westport Transfer Station will be monitored for radiation, which sometimes exceeds the maximum allowable levels, the town Department of Public Works announced.

Beginning Nov. 1, two recently installed radiation detectors will alert operators when waste arrives “hot” – with a radiation level that’s too high – said town Solid Waste Superintendent Joseph Izzo.

“We’re just trying to stop it at the source because that’s not supposed to come to us in the first place,” Izzo said.

The devices cost $28,000 – $14,000 each for two – said Director of Public Works Peter Ratkiewich. They are expected to pay for themselves. The department said the town is fined $2,000 each time it delivers waste that tests too high for radiation to the WIN Waste waste-to-energy plant in Bridgeport.

Ratkiewich said the town has been fined about six times this year.

In addition to the fine, each time it happens, the department temporarily loses one of its six waste trailers because it is kept out of service for a couple of days, Izzo said.

Waste “might contain radiation as a result of naturally occurring radioactive materials or as a result of medical radionuclides for testing and cancer treatment that may be present in home care waste,” said James Fowler, spokesman for the Connecticut Department of Energy and Environmental Protection.

If a resident or a residential or commercial hauler brings “hot” waste to the Westport facility, they will be prohibited from dumping the load and turned away. They may return 14 days later to retest the waste, which will be permitted if the radiation level has decreased enough, the department said.

However, the department recommends that a resident who brings in “hot” waste either bring it to a facility that handles medical waste or consult with their healthcare provider for advice on proper disposal of the material. When a professional hauler brings the unacceptable waste, the department strongly recommends that the company try to identify and notify the customer that generated the waste so that they can take steps to prevent it from happening again.