Truck detector test program underway in El Paso.

• Author: Pappalardo, Joe
• Position: Homeland Defense Briefs - Transportation Systems Laboratory - Brief Article

A truck screening system designed to inspect containers for illicit cargo is being tested at the Ysleta Border Station in El Paso.

The system will use pulsed fast neutron analysis to inspect the cargo, according to Joseph Gotto of the Transportation Systems Laboratory. The method bounces neutrons off targets inside containers, and measures the reflected gamma wave signatures to identify contents. "We chose samples of a broad spectrum of threats," Gotto said. The machines will be rigged to find marijuana, cocaine, money, as well as various explosives and chemical gasses.

Drivers will exit their vehicles, which are then towed through the neutron scanner.

The facility is scheduled to start testing 10 to 15 trucks a day in September, with an analytical report of the machine's effectiveness due in...