TEXAS AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - STOLEN MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE
The following information was obtained from the state of Texas via email:
"On October 7, 2019, the licensee notified the Agency [Texas Department of State Health Services] that one of its Troxler model 3411-B moisture density gauges, containing 40 milliCuries of americium-241/beryllium and 8 milliCuries of cesium-137, had been secured inside the bed of a technician's pickup truck at a temporary job site when the truck was stolen. The technician had driven over to and gone into a port-a-can. There were other jobsite workers in the area. When the technician came back outside, the other workers told him his pickup was being driven away - they had not realized he was not driving it until they saw him. They attempted to follow the vehicle but were unsuccessful in locating it. The local police department was notified but have not yet arrived on the scene. The licensee reported that per the technician, insertion rod on the gauge was locked, the transport case was locked and was secured with two chains to the bed of the truck, and the tailgate was locked. The licensee stated it does not appear that an exposure could result to persons in unrestricted areas. The licensee and technician are attempting to collect information from persons who were in the area. More information will be provided as it is obtained in accordance with SA-300.
"Gauge: Troxler Model 3411-B, SN: 8489
"Sources: Americium-241/Beryllium, 40 milliCuries, SN: 47-4872, Cesium-137, 8 milliCuries, SN: 40-5728"
Texas Incident No.: 9719
* * * UPDATED ON 10/8/19 AT 1214 EDT FROM KAREN BLANCHARD TO KERBY SCALES * * *
The following update was received from Texas Department of State Health Services via email:
"The licensee has notified the Agency that the vehicle and gauge were recovered by the local police at approximately 2230 CDT on October 7, 2019. The gauge was still fully secured in the vehicle as it had been when the vehicle was taken. More information will be provided as it is obtained in accordance with SA-300."
Notified R4DO (Keller), ILTAB, NMSS Events, and CSNS Mexico (email).
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 |