The following information was received via email from the
Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (the Department):
During the afternoon of 10/31/22, an InstroTek model 3500 portable gauge was found by a member of the public and turned into Radiation Pros, LLC (specific license CO 1183-01). The isotopes are presumed to be 11 mCi cesium-137 and 44 mCi americium-241:beryllium, but the Department is awaiting confirmation. Radiation Pros, LLC contacted the Department to let us know that they have the InstroTek model 3500 on site and that they contacted InstroTek with the serial number of the portable gauge to find out who owned the gauge. InstroTek let Radiation Pros know that the gauge belongs to Geostruct Engineers, Inc. dba RMG-Rocky Mountain Group, radioactive material license number CO 758-01. Radiation Pros contacted Geostruct Engineers and let them know that they have the portable gauge. Geostruct Engineers picked up the InstroTek portable gauge and transported it back to the licensed location. This event appears to be unrelated to Colorado event CO210032 [EN 55510].
Colorado Event Report ID No.: CO 220036
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