Nuclear gauge lost on highway

HARRISBURG — A portable gauge containing sealed sources of radioactive material was lost on May 3 when it apparently fell off the back of a truck on I-81 somewhere between West Virginia and Pennsylvania, according to the Pennsylvania Department of Environmental Protection (DEP).

The DEP and the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission are asking anyone with information about the missing gauge to report it to the DEP. It was lost between mile markers 17 and 24 at the Pennsylvania and West Virginia border. The gauge is bright yellow and about the size of a shoe box, with electronic controls and a metal rod extending from the top. It is commonly used in road construction for taking measurements in the ground.

The gauge is normally stored in a locked yellow transportation container when not in use at construction sites. It apparently fell out of the container on the back of the company’s truck during transport, according to the DEP.

“It is critical for anyone who has information about the lost nuclear gauge to contact the Pennsylvania DEP, Nuclear Regulatory Commission or a local law enforcement agency immediately,” DEP Bureau of Radiation Protection Director David Allard said. “As long as the device is not tampered with or damaged, it presents no hazard to public safety.”

It is not clear, however, whether the device was damaged in the fall from the truck.

The gauge is a Troxler Model 3430 with serial number 32506. Valley Quarries Inc. of Chambersburg, Franklin County, is licensed by DEP to possess and use the gauge. Company staffers were using it in West Virginia at the time it was lost.

Anyone who finds the gauge should leave it alone and report the location to DEP during normal working hours at 717-787-2480 or 412-442-4227. After normal working hours and on weekends, call 1-800-541-2050 or 412-442-4000. In the event of an emergency, dial 911. A trained individual will be dispatched immediately to recover the gauge.

The company is offering a reward for information leading to its return.

According to the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, the device contains approximately 8 millicuries of cesium-137 and 40 millicuries of americium-241. It makes its measurements by projecting the radiation from the two radioactive sources into the ground and then displaying the reflected radiation on a dial on its top. The plunger-type handle protruding from the top is used to extend and then retract the radioactive sources from the shielded box. When not in use, the handle is normally locked, with the sources in the retracted, safely shielded position.

The manufacturer's list price is $5,625.