The following was received from
California via email:
The RSO of Nova Engineering and Environmental notified RHB [Radiologic Health Branch] in Brea that a Troxler yellow transport case containing a Troxler model 3411B # 18840 moisture density gauge containing 8 mCi of Cs-137 and 40 mCi of Am-241/Be was stolen from a technician's pickup truck today. The technician stated that he had loaded and secured the Type A case into his pick-up truck from a storage facility in Irvine, CA then stopped at a coffee shop before traveling to his work location. He went to unlock the gauge case and found that it had been stolen. He returned to the coffee shop, but was unable to find his gauge. He is contacting the Irvine Police Dept. to make a theft report. The RSO indicated that they lock and chain each side of the case to the truck independently and once again around the top of the case to prevent it from opening. Nova E&E does have contact information on the gauge and the case and they use a small padlock on the Cs-137 source rod handle to prevent accidental deployment.
CA 5010 # 062116
- * * UPDATE ON 8/7/17 AT 1608 EDT FROM ROBERT GREGER TO DONG PARK * * *
The following was received from California via email:
A moisture density gauge that had been reported stolen on 6/21/16 (see NMED Item # 160262) was recovered this morning, after it was dropped off at a construction site where it was not being used. The gauge was not in its transportation container, and the source rod was not locked, although it was in the shielded position. Survey measurements confirmed that both sources (Cs-137 and Am-241) are present. The gauge is presently in the California radiation control program's possession pending return to its licensed owner (Nova Environmental Engineering, license # CA 7732-37).
Notified R4DO (Gepford), NMSS Events Notification, and Mexico 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