Event Notification Report for September 22, 2005
U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center
EVENT REPORTS FOR
09/21/2005 - 09/22/2005
EVENT NUMBERS
42009
General Information or Other
Event Number: 42009
Rep Org: CALIFORNIA RADIATION CONTROL PRGM
Licensee: RIVERSIDE COUNTY TRANSPORTATION DEPT.
Region: 4
City: LA QUINTA State: CA
County:
License #: 1630-33
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: MARK M. GOTTLIEB
HQ OPS Officer: JOHN MacKINNON
Licensee: RIVERSIDE COUNTY TRANSPORTATION DEPT.
Region: 4
City: LA QUINTA State: CA
County:
License #: 1630-33
Agreement: Y
Docket:
NRC Notified By: MARK M. GOTTLIEB
HQ OPS Officer: JOHN MacKINNON
Notification Date: 09/22/2005
Notification Time: 19:58 [ET]
Event Date: 09/22/2005
Event Time: 14:30 [PDT]
Last Update Date: 04/05/2007
Notification Time: 19:58 [ET]
Event Date: 09/22/2005
Event Time: 14:30 [PDT]
Last Update Date: 04/05/2007
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY
10 CFR Section:
10 CFR Section:
Person (Organization):
MICHAEL SHANNON (R4)
SCOTT MOORE (NMSS)
LANCE ENGLISH (TAS)
MEXICAN GOVT REP
MICHAEL SHANNON (R4)
SCOTT MOORE (NMSS)
LANCE ENGLISH (TAS)
MEXICAN GOVT REP
CALIFORNIA AGREEMENT STATE REPORT: MISSING/STOLEN TROXLER MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE
The Riverside County gauge operator at the Jefferson Street Bridge Construction site located in La Quinta, CA was called to a meeting with the on-site construction inspector. The gauge operator placed a Troxler Model # 3440 moisture density gauge unsecured into the back of his open bed pickup truck with its tail gate down. The gauge handle was not locked, not in its case and not placed in a metal shipping case attached to the bed of the pickup truck. The gauge operator did not placed a cover over the gauge. He drove 1.75 miles to where he met with the on-site construction inspector and a water district official. He talked with them between 8 to 10 minutes. After he completed talking with them he found that the gauge was not in the back of the pickup truck. It either fell out of the back of the pickup truck or it was stolen while he was talking. Three different people retraced the route that he had taken several times without finding the gauge. A police report was made with the La Quinta Police, report number 0509-4479. The Riverside County Transportation Department was instructed to make a press release and offer a $500 reward for the missing gauge. Also the press release instructs people not to touch the gauge and to call the police if they find the gauge.
The Troxler gauge contains 8 millicuries of Cs-137 and 40 millicuries of Am-241/Be. The gauge was last leak checked in June of 2005.
**** UPDATE ON 09/27/05 AT 1928 EDT FROM MARK M. GOTTLIEB TO BILL GOTT *****
The activity of the Cs-137 is 9 millicuries instead of 8 millicuries and the activity of the Am-241/Be is 44 millicuries instead of 40 millicuries.
R4DO (B. Spitzberg), NMSS (Bill Reamer) notified. E-mailed to Mexican Govt Rep and NRC TAS.
* * * UPDATE FROM STATE OF CALIFORNIA (KRAJEWSKI) TO HUFFMAN AT 1124 EDT ON 4/5/07 * * *
The State reported that the licensee has recovered the gauge from the Police Department in Indio California. The police apparently found the gauge in a warehouse along with other stolen items and traced the gauge back to the licensee through its stolen items database. The gauge is intact and was found with the source in the retracted position. As stated in the original report, the gauge was not in its case. The licensee has taken possession if the gauge and will have the gauge leak tested and examined by a Troxler representative.
R4DO (Cain) and FSME (Morell) notified. ILTAB & Mexico notified by e-mail.
Less than the quantity of a IAEA Category 3 source.
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.
For some of these sources, such as moisture density gauges or thickness gauges that are IAEA 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.
The Riverside County gauge operator at the Jefferson Street Bridge Construction site located in La Quinta, CA was called to a meeting with the on-site construction inspector. The gauge operator placed a Troxler Model # 3440 moisture density gauge unsecured into the back of his open bed pickup truck with its tail gate down. The gauge handle was not locked, not in its case and not placed in a metal shipping case attached to the bed of the pickup truck. The gauge operator did not placed a cover over the gauge. He drove 1.75 miles to where he met with the on-site construction inspector and a water district official. He talked with them between 8 to 10 minutes. After he completed talking with them he found that the gauge was not in the back of the pickup truck. It either fell out of the back of the pickup truck or it was stolen while he was talking. Three different people retraced the route that he had taken several times without finding the gauge. A police report was made with the La Quinta Police, report number 0509-4479. The Riverside County Transportation Department was instructed to make a press release and offer a $500 reward for the missing gauge. Also the press release instructs people not to touch the gauge and to call the police if they find the gauge.
The Troxler gauge contains 8 millicuries of Cs-137 and 40 millicuries of Am-241/Be. The gauge was last leak checked in June of 2005.
**** UPDATE ON 09/27/05 AT 1928 EDT FROM MARK M. GOTTLIEB TO BILL GOTT *****
The activity of the Cs-137 is 9 millicuries instead of 8 millicuries and the activity of the Am-241/Be is 44 millicuries instead of 40 millicuries.
R4DO (B. Spitzberg), NMSS (Bill Reamer) notified. E-mailed to Mexican Govt Rep and NRC TAS.
* * * UPDATE FROM STATE OF CALIFORNIA (KRAJEWSKI) TO HUFFMAN AT 1124 EDT ON 4/5/07 * * *
The State reported that the licensee has recovered the gauge from the Police Department in Indio California. The police apparently found the gauge in a warehouse along with other stolen items and traced the gauge back to the licensee through its stolen items database. The gauge is intact and was found with the source in the retracted position. As stated in the original report, the gauge was not in its case. The licensee has taken possession if the gauge and will have the gauge leak tested and examined by a Troxler representative.
R4DO (Cain) and FSME (Morell) notified. ILTAB & Mexico notified by e-mail.
Less than the quantity of a IAEA Category 3 source.
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.
For some of these sources, such as moisture density gauges or thickness gauges that are IAEA 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.