The City of North Bay is still determining the cause of radiation at its landfill site.
A bin has been isolated since last weekend, when the radiation was first detected and now, the city is working with a contractor to dispose of the unknown material.
Captain Murray Jonescu has trained extensively on responding to radiation calls, but last week was the first time a real life situation unfolded.
Jonescu said when the team arrived on scene, the initial radiation reading from a bin at the landfill site was concerning, and turned out to be wrong.
"When we both looked at the numbers, people should've been dead that got close to this, from the readings we were given," he explained.
Jonescu said the fire department did its own testing and figured the numbers were much lower, and did not pose a risk to the public.
"The reading we got was much lower, about 1.4 millisieverts which is very low," said Chief Jason Whiteley, North Bay Fire Department.
"It is gamma radiation, but it was very low. It's the same as having exposure to about four mammograms."
The bin has been isolated from the rest of the material at the landfill; as officials determine their next steps.
"Companies that specifically deal with radioactive products and they are arranging for a contractor, I believe from Sudbury, to come in and empty the bin to determine what is actually emitting the radioactive source, package it and dispose of it for us," said Jonescu.
It's still unclear how much it will cost to dispose of it and what exactly was in that bin.
"It could be a medical isotope. It could be anything," Jonescu said
The chief said it will also be difficult to determine where the material originally came from.
