The following information was obtained from
California Department of Public Health Radiologic Health Branch Brea (
RHB Brea) via email:
On December 18, 2020, at approximately 1100 PST, [the] RSO [(Radiation Safety Officer)] of Sequoia Consultants, Inc., Radioactive Materials License #7597-30, contacted RHB Brea to report the theft of a moisture/density gauge: CPN, MC-3 Elite, serial #30582 (Cs-137 0.370 GBq, Am-241, 1.85 GBq). The gauge had been in a mobile storage unit at a temporary job site at approximate mile marker 20.07, Northbound State Route 99 (Golden State Highway) in Atwater, CA 95301. The storage unit had been broken into and the radioactive gauge was missing. The Authorized User who discovered the missing radioactive gauge at approximately 0830 on December 18, 2020 notified the RSO and then notified the Atwater Police Department, who directed him to contact the California Highway Patrol. A copy of the theft report will be forwarded to the RHB Brea office to be included as part of this report. The RSO will contact local newspapers in an attempt to retrieve the stolen radioactive gauge, as well as notifying local servicing vendors of radioactive gauges to be alert for the serial number of the stolen gauge in case it turns up for service. The investigation will continue to determine if the radioactive gauge can be recovered.
California 5010 number: 121820
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