The following is excerpted from a report emailed from the
Georgia Radioactive Materials Program:
On 7/26/17, two Ir-192 Elekta sources (each approximately 11.2 Ci) were shipped from Alpha-Omega Services in Vinton, LA, via a common carrier with two different destination points. They made it to the common carrier's warehouse in Memphis, TN, but then were "lost." An investigation for both cases has been opened with the common carrier and the common carrier point of contact has been notified via email.
The packages were expected on 7/28/17 at their respective destinations. Serial number 31016 to UPMC Altoona in Altoona, PA and serial number 10729 to Arrowhead Radiation & Oncology Imaging Center in Glendale, AZ.
- * * RETRACTION ON 8/10/17 AT 1114 EDT FROM GREG REESE TO BETHANY CECERE * * *
The following is excerpted from an email from the Georgia Radioactive Materials Program:
Georgia is requesting retraction of the Georgia NMED Report of 8/2/17. The two sources referenced therein were never lost.
Notified R1DO (Bickett), R4DO (Gepford), NMSS Events Notification and CNSNS (Mexico) by email.
THIS MATERIAL EVENT CONTAINS A "CATEGORY 3" LEVEL OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL
Category 3 sources, if not safely managed or securely protected, could cause permanent injury to a person who handled them, or were otherwise in contact with them, for some hours. It could possibly - although it is unlikely - be fatal to be close to this amount of unshielded radioactive material for a period of days to weeks. These sources are typically used in practices such as fixed industrial
gauges involving high activity sources (for example: level
gauges, dredger
gauges, conveyor
gauges and spinning pipe
gauges) and well logging. For additional information go to
http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub1227_web.pdf