The following was received from the
California Department of Public Health via email:
On May 31, 2022, the RSO of Alta California Geotechnical, Inc. (Alta), contacted the Brea office of the California Department of Public Health to report a stolen moisture density gauge. The gauge was a CPN model MC-3 S/N M3811862 (10 mCi Cs-137, 50 mCi Am-241:Be). On May 27, at approximately 1700 PDT, the gauge was placed in a locked Mobile Mini (temporary storage) container in a fenced (also locked) area of the construction site in Jurupa Valley, California. The theft occurred sometime between Friday, May 27 and Tuesday, May 31. When Alta personnel arrived at the construction site at approximately 0500 PDT Tuesday morning, they discovered that the storage container lock (a hidden shank/"hockey puck" style) was drilled through and the locked transportation case containing the gauge was removed, along with other equipment. Alta personnel searched the surrounding area until approximately 0630 PDT and then contacted the Riverside County Sheriff to report the theft. The licensee's investigation into this event is ongoing and will be reviewed further by the California Department of Public Health.
5010 Number: 053122
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