Event Notification Report for March 17, 2025

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - STOLEN MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE

The following information was provided by the Texas Department of State Health Services (the Department) via phone and email:

"On March 17, 2025, the Department received a notification from the licensee regarding the theft of a moisture density gauge. The stolen gauge is a Troxler 3430 containing an 8 mCi Cs-137 sealed source and a 40 mCi Am-241/Be sealed source. The theft is believed to have occurred between 1700 CDT on Saturday, March 15, and 0630 CDT on March 17, 2025. According to the licensee, a technician worked at a scheduled site in Fulshear, Texas on March 15, 2025, but failed to return the gauge to the office for storage. Instead, the technician without approval took the gauge home and left it in the back of a truck. The gauge was stored in its transport container, secured with double locks and placed in the uncovered bed of the truck. The licensee stated that the thieves cut both locks before stealing the gauge in its container. At around 0630 CDT on March 17, 2025, the technician discovered that the gauge had been stolen. The technician immediately reported the theft to the licensee's radiation safety officer and the Houston Police Department. The licensee is currently investigating the matter. The licensee reported that there is no risk of additional radiation exposure to members of the public.

"Additional Information will be provided in accordance with SA300."

Texas Incident Number: I-10183
NMED number: TX250019

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.

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - DAMAGED SEALED SOURCE

The following information was received from the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (the Agency) via email:

"The Agency was contacted on March 17, 2025, by Alton Steel Inc., to advise of an incident earlier that day in which molten steel overflowed and damaged a 2.3 millicurie Berthold P-2608-100 Co-60 sealed source. Agency staff performed a reactive inspection the same day and determined the damage was limited to the source's pinned-on threaded connector (i.e., not the `active' portion of the source containing the Co-60 wire). Workers appropriately implemented updated emergency procedures, stopped production, isolated the impacted source/mold and notified the radiation safety officer. Extensive Agency surveys and a review of actions taken indicate there were no exposures or site contamination as a result of this incident.

"Both pieces of the source were recovered and placed into secure storage. Shielding was adequate to keep unrestricted areas below 2 mrem per hour. Surveys of the casting mold, the lid, the casting floor, produced billets, and casting remnants evidenced no contamination. The broken piece of the source evidenced no activity, consistent with expectations after a review of the engineering drawings of the source. Due to fouling of the source, the serial number could not be immediately read. A qualified service provider will be contacted to perform leak tests and obtain the source serial number.

"Notably, the licensee has had three similar incidents in which sealed sources were damaged as a result of casting overflows. The root cause is an inherent design issue with the continuous casting molds where severe overflows can penetrate a lubrication circuit and flow directly down the dip tube holding the sealed source. As a result of previous enforcement action, the licensee has completed engineering and prototyping of an improved design which will protect the sealed sources. Agency staff have asked for an expedited timeline and will seek appropriate enforcement action for implementation. Agency action on the license, enabling these changes, will be issued March 18, 2025. Previously identified concerns of personnel exposure and site contamination have been addressed through updated training and new procedures."

Illinois Incident Number: IL250011