The following information was provided by
Alabama Radiation Control via email:
The licensees radiation safety officer (RSO) called Alabama Radiation Control at approximately 1549 CDT on Monday, 3/18/2024, to advise that one of their technicians had lost [reported stolen] a portable moisture density gauge at approximately 1445, around Bon Secour, AL.
The RSO stated that the technician realized that the gauge was missing upon arrival at the licensees location. The licensee received information that a member of the public (driving a gray F-150) stopped and retrieved the gauge.
The licensee will notify local law enforcement, pawn shops, and advise local media about this matter. The licensee stated that a reward will be offered for the gauges return. The RSO indicated that the source rod and transportation box were both locked.
The gauges (CPN MC-3) serial number is M39058845 with 10 millicuries of cesium-137 assayed March 1,1989, and 50 millicuries of americium-241/Beryllium assayed April 2, 1989.
The following additional information was obtained from the licensee in accordance with Headquarters Operations Officers Report Guidance:
Alabama Radiation Control verified that the gauge was stolen from an unsecured truck bed. Also, they indicated that they will follow-up to verify that local law enforcement, pawn shops, and local media were notified.
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