The following report was received from the State of
California via e-mail:
On April 9, 2019, the [Radiation Safety Officer] RSO for GeoSolutions in San Luis Obispo, CA notified the RHB [Radiologic Health Branch] Brea office that a moisture density gauge had been reported stolen from his employee's vehicle that was parked overnight at a residence in Orcutt, Santa Barbara County, CA. Reporting person states that a Humboldt Scientific Instrument 5001C nuclear moisture density testing device, serial number 1749, was stolen. The device contained 0.37 GBq (10 mCi) Cs-137 and 1.48 GBq (40 mCi) Am-241. The theft has been reported to local law enforcement, Santa Maria Police report number 2019R03937, and to the local service provider Pacific Nuclear Technology.
The device was in a locked protective case at the time it was stolen; its transport index is 0.2; DOT class 7 type A package. The owner found the chain securing the device to the truck bed was also cut. The operator reported that the Cs-137 source rod was locked in the safe position on the gauge. The device was stolen on 4/9/2019 at an unknown time during the night. RHB will continue to investigate.
California 5010 number: 040919.
- * * UPDATE AT 2003 EDT ON 4/15/19 FROM L. ROBERT GREGER TO MARK ABRAMOVITZ * * *
The following was received via e-mail:
The moisture density gauge that was reported stolen was reported by the licensee to have been recovered on 4/11/19. The gauge, inside its transportation container (the transportation container lock was missing, but the gauge was locked in the shielded position), was found in a trash dumpster at a local convenience store. Police are currently reviewing security camera tapes in an attempt to determine who placed the gauge in the convenience store trash dumpster.
Notified the R4DO (Pick) and NMSS (via e-mail).
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