The following report was received via email from the
Florida Bureau of Radiation Control (
BRC):
On February 12, 2021, on or around 0830 [EST], a Wingerter Laboratories [employee], License 0673-1 Cat 3L(1), called the BRC to inform them of a stolen soil moisture density gauge (SMDG): Troxler Model 3411 S/N: 5500, Cs-137 and Am:Be-241. [A driver for the licensee] picked up the SMDG from the office to bring to [another employee] and stopped for coffee at the Florida City Quick Stop at 239 SW 344 Street. While inside, the gauge was stolen from the pickup truck with the use of a grinder to cut the cables and locks. Florida City Police Department was called, and [Florida City police officer] responded who filed report number 21001477. [The licensee employee] agreed to submit the most recent copy of the leak test for this gauge. [A BRC inspector will be conducting an investigation].
Florida Report Number: FL21-021
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
- * * UPDATE ON 2/15/21 AT 0916 EST FROM MATTHEW SENISON TO KERBY SCALES * * *
The following report was received via email from the Florida BRC:
[The licensee] has submitted the most recent copy of the leak test for this gauge. The BRC Inspector responded to this incident and the SMDG has not been found. From a discussion over the phone, the lock(s) and chain(s) were really cut into using power tools. [The] Inspector took pictures and obtained some from the licensee. The address for the gas station receipt that the employee gave him does not match the address of the gas station that was reported to the IRC [(Incident Response Coordinator)]. The gas station has a camera that faces the parking lot, but did not record the theft.
Notified R1DO (Dimitriadis),
ILTAB and
NMSS Event Notifications via email.