The following was received from the
Texas Department of State Health via e-mail:
The gauge was discovered missing after Agency attempts to collect fees. Gauge registrant had provided self evaluation reports indicating they possessed the gauge and, after being contacted, admitted it was missing. The company had 2 gauges. The second was returned to Thermo Scientific.
The missing gauge is reported to contain 1 curie of Cs-137. However, the manufacturer's information indicates it held 2 curies. A site investigation will be performed 12/09/08. The source information follows: Manufacturer: Thermo MeasureTech (Now Thermo Fisher Scientific), Model: 5203, Serial Number: B996, Isotope: Cs-137, Activity: 2 Ci, Source serial number: GK3804.
The State of Texas is reporting this as their equivalent to NRC regulation 20.2201(a)(1)(i); reports of theft or loss of licensed materials > 1000 X App. C value.
A representative of the State of Texas (Robert Free) was contacted and it was determined that the date that the gauge went missing or the circumstances are unknown at this time. The licensee is a dredging company that used the density gauge for underwater dredging activities associated with installing underwater pipelines.
Texas report I-8587
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.