AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - LOST GAS CHROMATOGRAPHY DEVICES
The following information was provided by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (the Agency) via email:
As a result of an ongoing investigation into unresponsive general licensees, the Agency became aware that five generally licensed Perkin-Elmer model n610-0063 gas chromatography devices, each containing 15 millicuries of Ni-63, are missing.
Reportedly, in late 2024, the licensee went through a transition of layoffs and is currently being bought by another company. Due to the change in employees, the location of these devices is unknown.
The licensee failed to properly transfer or dispose of the devices (serial numbers 4377, 6055, 6273, 6202, and 7067). The facility manager is currently trying to reach out to past employees for information. The Agency has reached out to the distributor to try and locate the devices.
The quantity of radioactive material involved, while unlikely to be dangerous to the public, is reportable within 30 days to the Agency and the U.S. NRC. Investigation is ongoing, and any updates will be reported.
Illinois Event Number: IL250040
- * * UPDATE ON 12/15/2025 AT 1309 EST FROM KIMBERLY STICE TO ERNEST WEST * * *
The following is a summary of information provided by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency via email:
The facility manager was able to locate two of the devices (serial numbers 6055 and 7067) on 10/31/2025. On 12/01/2025, an additional two devices were located (serial numbers 4377 and 6273). There is still one device that is lost, but to date no further information has become available.
Notified R3DO (Orlikowski), NMSS Events Notification (email), and 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