LAW ENFORCEMENT ARE ON LOOKOUT FOR STOLEN DEVICE WITH RADIOACTIVE MATERIAL

A gauge containing radioactive material has been stolen from a business in Hot Springs, Ark., according to a press release from the Arkansas Department of Health.

The device has shielding and is not dangerous if it remains intact, officials said, but could present a radiation hazard if damaged so that the radioactive sources were exposed or removed from their sealed container.

The gauge’s case is “about the size and shape of a trunk and is made of a hard, yellow plastic with handles on each end and the top, and the gauge is “yellow with a rectangular base and a foot-long handle on top. Together, they weigh about 85-95 pounds.

“Both are clearly labeled as radioactive,” the news release states.

State police, local government officials and law enforcement agencies, the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Arkansas Department of Emergency Management have been notified.

Anyone finding this gauge should IMMEDIATELY report it to the nearest police authority or phone 1-800-633-1735 or 501-661-2173 and ask for the radiation staff duty officer.

The gauge poses a potential public health risk, but does not have enough material to be used for an explosive device, according to ADH.

“The gauge contains approximately 8 millicuries of cesium-137 and 40 millicuries of americium-241. It is used to take moisture and density measurements by projecting radiation from the two radioactive sources into the ground and then displaying the amount of radiation reflected back to the gauge. The gauge is described as a Troxler Electronic Laboratories Model 3440, Serial Number 15160,” the press release states.