The following report was received from the State of
Illinois via e-mail:
The Agency [Illinois Emergency Management Agency] was contacted at approximately 1213 CDT on 4/9/19 by the radiation safety officer (RSO) for Heuft USA to advise that a 0.88 Ci shipment of Am-241 sealed sources enroute to their facility did not arrive as expected by April 8, 2019. The shipment was found as of 1330 CDT by the carrier at their terminal in Illinois.
The shipment was not a Cat 1 or Cat 2 quantity. The shipment was labeled White-I and packaged in a 28 pound, 5 gallon, Type A drum. [Prior to being found], the package's last known (physically confirmed) location was the [common carrier's] facility in Columbus, OH on 4/5/19. A manifest was present at [the common carrier's] Chicago Heights facility, indicating it may have arrived there. The RSO for the licensee was the individual who personally packaged the sources and offered them for consignment to [the common carrier]. There was no indication of intentional theft or diversion.
Heuft USA is a licensee of the Agency (IL-01354-22) authorized for the possession, installation and maintenance of Am-241 fill level gauges. This shipment contained (2) QSA Global AMC.17 fill level gauges containing 300 mCi each, (1) XN.240 fill level gauge containing 100 mCi, and (4) AMC.25 fill level gauges containing 45 mCi each. State of Ohio radiation control program staff were notified.
While writing the report, the carrier located the package on their dock and began to finalize the shipment to the licensee. Pending confirmation of receipt by the licensee, this matter is considered closed.
Illinois item number: IL190011.
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