The following information was provided by the
Texas Department of State Health Services (the Department) via phone and email:
On March 17, 2025, the Department received a notification from the licensee regarding the theft of a moisture density gauge. The stolen gauge is a Troxler 3430 containing an 8 mCi Cs-137 sealed source and a 40 mCi Am-241/Be sealed source. The theft is believed to have occurred between 1700 CDT on Saturday, March 15, and 0630 CDT on March 17, 2025. According to the licensee, a technician worked at a scheduled site in Fulshear, Texas on March 15, 2025, but failed to return the gauge to the office for storage. Instead, the technician without approval took the gauge home and left it in the back of a truck. The gauge was stored in its transport container, secured with double locks and placed in the uncovered bed of the truck. The licensee stated that the thieves cut both locks before stealing the gauge in its container. At around 0630 CDT on March 17, 2025, the technician discovered that the gauge had been stolen. The technician immediately reported the theft to the licensee's radiation safety officer and the Houston Police Department. The licensee is currently investigating the matter. The licensee reported that there is no risk of additional radiation exposure to members of the public.
Additional Information will be provided in accordance with SA300.
Texas Incident Number: I-10183
NMED number: TX250019
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.