Rogers Group Company conducted a test at mile marker 63 on Edward T. Breathitt Parkway. After the test was completed they placed the
Troxler 4640-B
Moisture Density gauge [S/N 1772], 9 millicuries of
Cs-137 [Sealed Source Model No. A-102112], in the back of the bed of truck, did not store it or tie it down, and they drove 3.5 miles South on Edward T. Breathitt Parkway at which time they turned around and drove back to mile marker 63. When they arrived back at mile marker 63 they discovered that the
gauge was missing, believe that the
gauge had fallen out of the truck while it was being driven. They retraced their route that they had taken and asked several working crews if they had seen the missing
gauge. The
gauge was not found and the licensee believes that a motorist had stopped and picked up the
gauge. The licensee notified the State Police of the missing
gauge.
Reference Number: KY070002
THIS MATERIAL EVENT CONTAINS A "LESS THAN CAT 3" LEVEL OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL
Sources that are "Less than IAEA Category 3 sources," are either sources that are very unlikely to cause permanent injury to individuals or contain a very small amount of radioactive material that would not cause any permanent injury. Some of these sources, such as moisture density gauges or thickness gauges that are Category 4, the amount of unshielded radioactive material, if not safely managed or securely protected, could possibly - although it is unlikely - temporarily injure someone who handled it or were otherwise in contact with it, or who were close to it for a period of many weeks.
- * * UPDATE RECEIVED FROM BRIAN PARSLEY TO JOE O'HARA AT 1519 ON 6/14/07 * * *
The Troxler Gauge has been found and returned to the licensee. Apparently, the gauge was recovered on 5/22/07 by a former employee of the Rogers Company, in the same general area where it was lost. The former employee took the gauge to his home in Vansans, Indiana. The individual reported the recovered gauge to the Vansans Police Department who contacted the Kentucky State Police. Both law enforcement agencies were able to confirm the identity of the gauge, and the gauge has been placed in the custody of the licensee.
Notified R1DO(Doerflein), R3DO(Phillips), and
FSME(Morell)