Event Notification Report for October 20, 2026

EN Revision Imported Date: 10/20/2026

EN Revision Text: AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - STOLEN GAUGE

The following information was provided by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (The Agency) via email:

"[The radiation safety officer of] NASHnal Soil Testing (RML IL-02440-01) contacted the Agency at approximately 1200 [CDT] on 9/26/22, to report the theft of a Troxler model 3440 moisture density gauge (S/N 29187) from a jobsite in Michigan City, IN, sometime between the afternoon of 9/24/22 and 0700 on 9/26/22. The Illinois licensee was working in the state of Indiana under Nuclear Regulatory Commission jurisdiction under reciprocity. Local law enforcement had been notified and already departed the scene. Reportedly, the locks on up to ten storage containers were cut and the contents stolen. Two additional gauges were stolen from another licensee, but were recovered on site. The gauges were not co-located and reportedly the stolen gauge was locked within a jobsite box, within a locked storage container. The Agency is actively inquiring if the gauge handle was properly locked and if the gauge was stolen within its transport container.

"Agency inspectors will perform a reactionary inspection this week, obtain a copy of the police report to update Nuclear Material Events Database, and any other updates added as they become available."

Illinois Event Number: IL220034

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

* * * UPDATE FROM GARY FORSEE TO BRIAN P. SMITH ON OCTOBER 19, 2026, AT 1441 EDT * * *

The following information was provided by the Illinois Emergency Management Agency (The Agency) via email:

"On October 13, 2026, NRC staff alerted the Agency of the stolen gauge being listed for sale on eBay. The seller was located in Indiana. The Agency coordinated with the FBI and the state of Indiana to have the gauge returned to the licensee. The gauge was successfully returned to the licensee on October 19, 2026."

Notified NMSS Events and ILTAB via email.

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - DAMAGED MOISTURE DENSITY GAUGE

The following is a summary of information provided by the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality (LDEQ) via email:

On October 10, 2026, a Troxler model 3400 gauge, with an 8 mCi Cs-137 source and a 100 mCi Am-241/Be source, was being checked for stabilization before leaving the licensee's facility when it was backed over by a vehicle. The equipment housing was crushed, but the sources were still in a shielded condition. The device was placed into the yellow transport container.

LDEQ and the licensee both dispatched personnel to survey the gauge. Surveys confirmed that the sources were still in a shielded position and no radiation exposures to workers had occurred.

The licensee reported the event to LDEQ on October 12. The licensee will perform leak tests of the sources.

Louisiana event number: LA20260012

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - LOST SOURCE

The following is a summary of information provided by the Alabama Office of Radiation Control via phone and email:

On October 13, 2026, at approximately 0930 CDT, the radiation safety officer (RSO) for the licensee called to report a lost source in transit. A radiography camera containing a 7.7 Ci Ir-192 source was shipped by common carrier on September 29, 2026, to QSA Global in Texas for routine source exchange, with an arrival date of no later than October 2, 2026.

When the package failed to arrive by October 2, 2026, the RSO notified the common carrier, who informed the RSO that the package was found and located at their sorting facility in Memphis, TN. Subsequently, on the morning of October 13, 2026, the licensee received an e-mail notification from the common carrier that the package could not be located in their Tennessee sorting facility. The carrier stated that the sorting facility was the last known location and the package was still believed to be there.

The licensee continues to follow up with the common carrier to determine the location of the lost source.

Alabama Radiation Control will inform the Tennessee Division of Radiological Health of the event.

Camera: QSA Global model D880, S/N D2705
Source: QSA model 424-9, S/N 25977P, source activity estimated as of 10/13/2026

Alabama incident number: 26-017

* * * UPDATE ON 10/15/2026 AT 0824 EDT FROM SEAN WILLIAMS TO ROBERT THOMPSON * * *

The following is a summary of information provided by the Alabama Office of Radiation Control via email:

The Alabama Office of Radiation Control received an update from the State of Tennessee. The common carrier located the package, which had its shipping label torn off. The package is being returned to the licensee's facility in Alabama.

Notified (email) NMSS Events Notification, ILTAB.

THIS MATERIAL EVENT CONTAINS A 'Category 3' LEVEL OF RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL

Category 3 sources, if not safely managed or securely protected, could cause permanent injury to a person who handled them, or were otherwise in contact with them, for some hours. It could possibly - although it is unlikely - be fatal to be close to this amount of unshielded radioactive material for a period of days to weeks. These sources are typically used in practices such as fixed industrial gauges involving high activity sources (for example: level gauges, dredger gauges, conveyor gauges and spinning pipe gauges) and well logging. For additional information go to http://www-pub.iaea.org/MTCD/publications/PDF/Pub1227_web.pdf

AGREEMENT STATE REPORT - UNATTENDED PORTABLE GAUGE

The following information was received from the Virginia Radioactive Materials Program (VRMP) via email:

"At approximately 1330 EDT on October 12, 2026, the VRMP was notified of an incident involving a portable nuclear gauge. At approximately 0800 EDT on October 12, 2026, DMY Engineering Consultants was notified by the general site contractor that one of their Troxler model 3440 portable moisture and density gauges (S/N 31062) had been located at a jobsite located at the Hampton Roads Bridge-Tunnel.

"The radiation safety officer (RSO) informed VRMP that the authorized user had returned to the office on October 11, 2026, with the empty gauge case, leaving behind the gauge at the jobsite. The RSO contacted the VRMP by phone within 24 hours. Per the RSO, the gauge was recovered from the jobsite at approximately 0900 EDT on October 12, 2026. It was determined that the gauge was left unattended between approximately 0800 EDT on October 11 and 0900 EDT on October 12. The gauge was undamaged and appeared to be untampered with as it was found in the same place that the gauge user stated he left it. The Cs-137 source (8 mCi, S/N 750-5681) remained in the fully shielded position and the Am-241/Be source (40 mCi, S/N 47-10729) block remained intact. A survey taken by the RSO [showed 0.05 mR/h at 1 meter]. The gauge was secured in its transportation case and returned to the licensee's storage to be leak tested before shipment for evaluation. There were no apparent exposures as a result of this incident. The agency will conduct a formal investigation."

Virginia incident number: VA260006


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 - STUCK SHUTTER

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

"On October 13, 2026, the Department was notified by the licensee that the source shutter mechanism on a nuclear gauge had failed to function as designed. The gauge, a Ronan model SA1-F37, contains a 300 mCi Cs-137 sealed source. The licensee reported that the gauge was discovered with the source shutter stuck in the open position. Open is the normal operating position.

"The condition was identified during a visual inspection and shutter check conducted on October 12, 2026. The licensee stated that there is no risk of additional radiation exposure to members of the public or radiation workers as a result of this shutter mechanism failure.

"Additional information will be made available in accordance with SA-300 reporting requirements."

Texas incident number: 10338