The following report was received via e-mail:
On November 3, 2011, at approximately 9:30AM, a 709.36 mCi Gadolinium-153 sealed source was discovered to be missing from the back of a LIXI, Inc. employee's RV in Phoenix, Arizona. The source was last seen on Monday, October 31st at approximately 8PM in Abilene, Texas.
The investigation into this event is ongoing.
The U.S. NRC, AZ governor's office, Texas, and Illinois have been notified.
Arizona Report: 11-012
- * * UPDATE ON 11/3/2011 AT 1541 FROM AUBREY GODWIN TO MARK ABRAMOVITZ * * *
The following information was received via e-mail:
At 11:45AM, the licensee was notified that the source was left at the PepsiCo in Abilene, Texas. The licensee is flying back to Texas to pick up the source at approximately 7:30PM tonight.
The U.S. NRC, AZ Governor's Office, Texas, and Illinois have been notified.
Notified the R4DO (Gaddy) and FSME (Camper).
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. For additional information go to http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub1227_web.pdf
This source is not amongst those sources or devices identified by the
IAEA Code of Conduct for the Safety & Security of Radioactive Sources to be of concern from a radiological standpoint. Therefore is it being categorized as a less than Category 3 source.