Alert

Due to a lapse in appropriations, the NRC has ceased normal operations. However, excepted and exempted activities necessary to maintain critical health and safety functions—as well as essential progress on designated critical activities, including those specified in Executive Order 14300—will continue, consistent with the OMB-Approved NRC Lapse Plan.

Event Notification Report for January 3, 2007

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center

Event Reports For
01/03/2007 - 01/03/2007

** EVENT NUMBERS **

43068

General Information or Other	Event Number: 43068
Rep Org: CALIFORNIA RADIATION CONTROL PRGM Licensee: NINYO AND MOORE Region: 4 City: SAN JACINTO State: CA County: License #: 5073-30 Agreement: Y Docket: NRC Notified By: BARBARA HAMRICK HQ OPS Officer: PETE SNYDER	Notification Date: 12/29/2006 Notification Time: 16:13 [ET] Event Date: 12/28/2006 Event Time: 18:30 [PST] Last Update Date: 12/29/2006
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY 10 CFR Section: AGREEMENT STATE	Person (Organization): THOMAS FARNHOLTZ (R4) KEITH McCONNELL (NMSS) ILTAB (via e-mail) () MEXICO CNSNS ()

This material event contains a "Less than Cat 3" level of radioactive material.

Event Text

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - THEFT OF A TROXLER MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE

"On December 29, 2006, at 11:10 am, the licensee contacted the California [Radiologic Health Branch] RHB to report the theft of a Troxler, Model 3430 moisture/density gauge (S/N 38217) containing a nominal 10 millicuries Cs-137 and nominal 40 millicuries Am-241. When the licensee initially reported, they had been informed by their technician that the gauge (secured by two locking cables in the truck bed) had been stolen at 11:00 am on December 29, 2006, while the technician was having lunch at a restaurant in Fontana, CA. Subsequently, during the police investigation, the technician acknowledged that the gauge had actually been stolen out of his truck, sometime the night previously (i.e., between about 6:30 pm December 28, 2006 and 8:00 am December 29, 2006), while the truck was parked in front of his home in San Jacinto, CA.

"The licensee prohibits their technicians from taking the gauges home overnight, and intends to take disciplinary action against the technician in this regard. The San Jacinto police have also been contacted, and the licensee intends to place a reward notification in the local press in the San Jacinto area. RHB will continue to follow up on this matter."

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.

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