The following report was received via e-mail:
On November 15, 2011, the Agency [Texas Department of Health] was notified by the licensee that a Troxler model 3440 moisture/density gauge containing 9 millicuries of cesium-137 and 40 millicuries of americium-241 was stolen. The gauge was locked in the back of a company truck and the truck was parked at the technicians home overnight. When the technician went to the truck to leave, he found the gauge, one lock, and a chain missing. The licensee has notified local law enforcement of the theft. Additional information will be provided in accordance with SA - 300.
Texas Incident: I-8903
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