The following report was received via email by the
Virginia Radioactive Materials Program (
VRMP):
At approximately 1515 EDT on 7/2/2025, VRMP was notified of an incident involving a stolen portable nuclear gauge. Sometime between the hours of 1500 on 7/1/2025 and 0700 on 7/2/2025, a Troxler model 3411 portable nuclear density/moisture gauge containing 9 mCi Cs-137 and 44 mCi Am-241 was discovered missing from a construction site. The authorized user notified the radiation safety officer (RSO) who went to the site to search and then notified the VRMP.
Per the RSO, at approximately 1500 on 7/1/2025, the authorized user left the gauge on the site to carry other items to his vehicle outside the fenced construction site a short distance away when it started to rain and then found the gate to the site locked when he returned to retrieve the gauge. He did not notify the RSO at that time. He returned at approximately 2030 on 7/1/2025 to find the gauge missing. He returned to the licensee's office and notified the RSO around noon on 7/2/2025. The RSO went to the site to search for the gauge. When he could not find it, he contacted the VRMP. He is also contacting the Alexandria Police Department to report the theft. The gauge was not in the transportation box when it was left on the site.
VRMP will follow up with an investigation.
Virginia Event Report Number: VA250002
- * * UPDATE ON 07/08/2025 AT 1740 EDT FROM SHEILA NELSON TO ROBERT THOMPSON * * *
The following information was provided by the Virginia Radioactive Materials Program (VRMP) via email:
The VRMP was notified at 1230 EDT that the missing gauge has been recovered. The gauge appears to be undamaged with no signs of tampering. The licensee will obtain a leak test and evaluate the gauge for serviceability. The agency will schedule an in-person investigation.
Notified R1DO (Bickett), NMSS Events Notification (email), ILTAB (email).
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