The following information was provided by the
Maryland Department of the Environment (MDE) via email:
At 1520 EDT on August 31, 2023 a
troxler gauge containing a 9 mCi
Cs-137 source and a 44 mCi
Am-241 source was struck by a dump truck at a construction site in Clarksburg,
Maryland. The
gauge was licensed to, and being operated by,
ECS Mid-Atlantic,
LLC (MD-21-037-01). The display and source guide handle was damaged but the part of the
gauge containing the sources was not. The sources' shielding was not damaged. The source rod was successfully retracted by the Radiation Safety Officer (
RSO) and several surveys of the area were performed by the
RSO confirming only background radiation levels. At the time, the
gauge was returned to the licensee's storage facility and tested for source leakage. MDE was notified and requested that the
gauge be tested for leakage and the
RSO's dosimetry be read. Leak tests later showed no leakage of radioactive material and the
RSO's dosimetry read a minimal dose. At this time, the
gauge has been repaired by the manufacturer and returned to service.