The following information was received from the
Washington State Department of Health (the Department) via email:
On March 7, 2025, at 1613 PDT, the Department was notified that a portable gauge (Troxler 3411-B) had fallen from a vehicle. This notification initially came from the Washington State Emergency Operations Officer of the Washington Military Department. The notification stated that the licensee had submitted a police report and was actively searching for the source.
At 1633, the Department Emergency Response Duty Officer (ERDO) forwarded the notification to the Radioactive Materials Section Manager. At 1711, the Materials Section Manager contacted the licensee by phone to determine the scope of response necessary. The licensee informed the Department that the gauge was contained in a locked box and was believed to be lost or stolen. The licensee called back at 1716, informing the Department that the gauge had been found with the box locked, intact, and no signs of damage to the source contained within the shielded gauge. The gauge was found along the side of the road, in a ditch and away from any pedestrian traffic. No exposure is believed to have occurred to the public when considering the source was in a shielded position and inside of a locked Troxler class A container.
The source was verified to be intact and sealed. Operational verifications of the gauge were performed, and the gauge is functioning normally. The gauge is in the possession of the licensee.
A final report will be submitted to the NRC after the licensee has responded with corrective actions.
Washington Incident Number: WA-25-005
- * * UPDATE ON 3/21/2025 AT 1947 EDT FROM DANE BLAKINGER TO TENISHA MEADOWS * * *
The following information was received from the Washington State Department of Health (the Department) via email:
The licensee corrective actions include mandatory retraining of gauge handling and locking procedures for all gauge users at Terra Associates Inc., an increased [frequency] of user audits of locking procedures from every 6 months to every 3 months, and GPS trackers installed on all gauge transportation boxes. The Department will review corrective actions during future inspections, to include a review of this report and ensure licensee is demonstrating compliance with proposed corrective actions.
Notified R4DO (Bywater) and
NMSS Events Notification (email)