The following report was received via e-mail:
Yesterday, July 19, 2016, at approximately 1400 [CDT], the state of
Kansas was notified of damage sustained to a portable moisture/density
gauge. The
gauge was a
Troxler 3430 #32870 containing 8mCi
Cs-137 and 40 mCi AM-241:Be. Building Earth Sciences Inc., under reciprocity (
Kansas #2016-052/Alabama lic #1266) was in a field 20 miles South of Dodge City,
Kansas. Due to high grass and extreme temperatures, the vehicle caught on fire with the portable
gauge located in the bed of the truck. The vehicle and
gauge were completely destroyed. At that time, no survey meter was onsite so Terracon was contacted in Garden City to utilize a loaner survey meter. The survey meter brought to the site was not in calibration. Surveys were conducted of the wreckage at one meter at around 1500 that showed approximately 0.2 mR/hr exposure rate from all sides. The Senior Project Manager onsite, had contacted the
RSO, located in
Alabama, who was already on his way to the site. [The Senior Project Manager] stated that a calibrated survey meter and Type A overpack had already been dispatched from the Building Earth Sciences Inc. Tulsa OK office and would be onsite no later than 1900. [The Senior Project Manager] stated that the wreckage had been fenced off and that he was staying onsite until the meter and overpack arrived. It was at this time that the state of
Kansas made the determination not to send anyone out to the site as the overpack coming from Tulsa would be arriving well before anyone from Topeka could get to the site. At 2000 [CDT], July 19, 2016, [the
Kansas Department of Health and Environment] received notification of confirmatory (calibrated) survey data of no greater than 0.2 mR/hr at one meter as well as the
gauge debris having been placed within the overpack. (Survey meter - Troxalert cal date 8/3/15, serial number13385.) Surveys were also conducted of the truck wreckage after the
gauge debris had been placed into the Type A overpack, with no contamination found confirming the integrity of the source remained intact. The overpack was then transported to the Building Earth Sciences Inc. Tulsa, OK, office. The
RSO, will be submitting a full written preliminary report and timeline as soon as all information becomes available.
NMED entry is forthcoming.