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 April 29, 2008

U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission
Operations Center

Event Reports For
04/28/2008 - 04/29/2008

** EVENT NUMBERS **

44170

Other Nuclear Material	Event Number: 44170
Rep Org: CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING LABS Licensee: CONSTRUCTION ENGINEERING LABS Region: 4 City: PEARL CITY State: HI County: License #: Agreement: N Docket: NRC Notified By: RONALD PICKERING HQ OPS Officer: BILL HUFFMAN	Notification Date: 04/25/2008 Notification Time: 22:52 [ET] Event Date: 04/25/2008 Event Time: 16:00 [HST] Last Update Date: 04/28/2008
Emergency Class: NON EMERGENCY 10 CFR Section: 20.2201(a)(1)(i) - LOST/STOLEN LNM>1000X	Person (Organization): CHUCK CAIN (R4) KEVIN HSUEH (FSME) ILTAB VIA E-MAIL ()

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

Event Text

LOST TROXLER DENSITY GAUGE

A technician for the licensee was taking asphalt density measurements at the Lua Lua Lei Naval Magazine Base in Hawaii. He was using a Troxler 3450 gauge (nominal 8 mCuries Cs-137 and 40 mCuries Am-241/Be) which was placed in the back of his pickup truck in anticipation of taking additional measurements. He was subsequently informed that no additional density measurements were needed. He completed his paper work and got into his truck and drove off the site. He drove about 1 mile before he realized that he had not secured the gauge in the back of the truck. He stopped and discovered the gauge was missing and had apparently fallen out of the truck bed. He retraced his route but was not able to locate the gauge.

The RSO is in the process of requesting assistance from local authorities in helping to locate the missing gauge.

* * * UPDATE FROM R. PICKERING TO JOE O'HARA AT 1646 ON 4/28/08 * * *

The Troxler gauge was found in a brush area near the side of the road. The case is damaged, and the RSO will be performing a radiological assessment of the damaged case and reporting the results to Troxler for further shipping instructions.

Notified R4DO(Pick), FSME(Hsueh), and ILTAB (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.

Page Last Reviewed/Updated Wednesday, March 24, 2021