On April 28, the Agency [Arizona Radiation Regulatory Agency] was contacted by the licensee. The licensee indicated that an employee had a
moisture density gauge stolen at a Motel in Goodyear, AZ. The
gauge is a Humboldt Model 5001, Serial Number 1140 containing 10 millicuries of
Cesium-137 and 40 millicuries of
Am-241. The device was
stolen from a pickup truck at the Towne Place Suites, 13971 West Celebrate Life Way, Goodyear, AZ, 85338. The device was in a steel box bolted to the truck bed. The lock or bolts were cut. A secondary lock was also cut and the device was removed.
The investigation into this event is ongoing. The AZ Governor's Office, US NRC, FBI, and the states of CA, CO, NV, and NM are being notified of this event. Mexico is also being notified.
AZ First Notice: 14-009
- * * UPDATE PROVIDED BY AUBREY GODWIN TO JEFF ROTTON AT 1736 EDT ON 05/02/2014 * * *
The following information was provided via email from the State of Arizona:
On May 1, 2014 the AZ Department of Public Safety [AZDPS] received a report that someone had found some HAZMAT including radioactive material. The semi-homeless individual released the gauge he claimed to have found in a garbage dumpster to AZDPS. AZDPS released the gauge to the Agency on May 2, 2014. After leak testing and testing for contamination the licensee was contacted to arrange return of the gauge.
The State of Arizona investigation into this event is closed.
Notified R4DO (Haire), FSME Events Resource, Country of Mexico, and ILTAB via email.
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