The following information was received from the State of
Texas via email:
On August 30, 2012, the licensee notified the Agency [Texas Department of State Health Services] that at approximately 0945 hrs CDT a Troxler model 3430 moisture/density gauge, containing a 40 millicurie Americium-241/Beryllium source and an 8 millicurie Cesium-137 source, had been stolen out of the back of one of its pickup trucks [a white Chevrolet C-1500] outside a hotel in Lubbock, Texas. The licensee's employee had gone inside to check out of the hotel and when he came back outside he found both chains securing the gauge had been cut and the gauge was gone. The local police department was notified by the employee. The licensee will notify the manufacturer and other gauge service companies. The Agency will notify the Texas Association of Pawn Brokers. An investigation into this event is ongoing and information will be updated as it is received per SA-300 [Reporting Material Events].
Gauge Information: Troxler Model 3430, Serial # 25088
Sources: Americium-241/Beryllium -- 40 millicuries -- Serial #75-7262, Cesium-137 -- 8 millicuries -- 47-21295
Texas Incident #: I-8981
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