The following was received from the state via fax:
The SC [South Carolina] Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) was notified Tuesday, October 27, 2009 at 2:10 p.m. that a Humboldt Model 5001 portable moisture density gauge had been damaged on a job site in North Charleston, SC. The gauge contained 11 milliCurie maximum of Cesium 137 and 44 milliCuries maximum of Americium 241/Be. [The] F&ME employee notified the department (SCDHEC) that a gauge technician had been in the process of performing a standardization test with the gauge when it was hit by a motor grader. [The company representative] was present at the job site when the event occurred. [The company representative] informed SCDHEC that the area had been secured with both the gauge and motor grader within the perimeter. [The company representative] was advised to maintain surveillance of the gauge until SCDHEC personnel could respond.
Once on site,
SCDHEC personnel determined there was no release of radioactive material and that the
Cesium 137 source was still in the locked position. The
gauge was placed in its storage container and secured. The licensee informed
SCDHEC that he would transport the damaged
gauge back to the home office in Columbia, SC that same evening and secure it until the manufacturer could be contacted on Wednesday, October 28, 2009. The licensee would then follow the manufacturer's instructions for the disposition of the device. As more information is available, this notice will be updated. The licensee was advised that a written report detailing this event must be submitted to the department (
SCDHEC) within 30 days. The event is open and pending further investigation by the licensee and the department (
SCDHEC). Updates will be made through the
NMED (Nuclear Materials Event Database) system.