The following information was obtained from the State of
North Carolina via email:
The [North Carolina] Branch Manager received a call June 11, 2012 from a radioactive materials licensee S. T. Wooten Corporation (license number 098-0792-1) based out of Wilson, NC.
An individual was on a worksite late. After completing his work, he stored the gauge, as well as other construction material, outside his residence at [redacted] in Sanford, NC. The licensee contact confirmed that the individual followed the 'two barrier' rule.
At 5:45 a.m. on June 11, 2012, the individual reported the gauge and the additional construction material missing to the local law enforcement and to the Radiation Protection Section. He last saw the gauge at 11:30 p.m. on June 10, 2012.
The truck was investigated by local law enforcement at the site and is on its way back to the headquarters office in Wilson, NC. [The North Carolina] regional inspector will meet the truck there for an onsite inspection. [The North Carolina] Increased Controls Coordinator has a good relationship with local law enforcement and has contacted them as well as informed emergency management. The proper notifications will be made to FBI, etc.
The gauge is a Troxler model 4060B, it can contain up to 9 millicuries of Cs-137 (a beta/gamma emitter).
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