The following is a summary of information received from the State of
Oregon via phone call:
On August 28, 2019, at 1102 PDT, the Oregon Department of Health and Radiation Protection received a report from the R.S. Davis Scrap Yard, that a moisture density gauge was found in a 55 gallon drum that was crimped at the top so the gauge will not fall out. The gauge is a CPN MC-3 Porta Probe with a 10 mCi Cs-137 source and a 50 mCi Am/Be 241 source. The scrap yard employed a contractor to take radiation readings and perform a swipe test of the gauge. The gauge housing appears to be damaged but the source housing seems intact. The contractor was unable to inspect the bottom of the gauge inside the drum.
The following was measured:
A reading of 13 mR/hr on contact at the side
A reading of 200 mR/hr on contact at the bottom
A reading of 3 mR/hr one foot from the side
Swipe Test results were less than background
The State of Oregon Radiation Inspector believes the gauge is damaged because normal radiation readings for a similar gauge at one meter would be 0.4 mR/hr.
The State of Oregon will be conducting an investigation of this event. The gauge is currently under the control of the scrap yard.
Oregon Event Reference Number: 19-0037.
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