Authorities hunting for nuclear gauge lost in West Virginia.

Hello ATS,

My Source

Any members in West Virginia? Keep your eyes open for this thing...

The gauge is a Troxler Model 3430 with serial number 32506. It contains about 8 millicuries of cesium-137 and 40 millicuries of americium-241. Cesium-137 is the principle source of radiation in the Chernobyl Exclusion Zone, which was designated for evacuation and placed under military control after the 1986 nuclear accident.

A portable gauge containing dangerous radioactive material fell off the back of a truck in West Virginia, and officials are offering a reward for the missing device. “Once he arrived, the gauge user realized the truck’s rear gate had opened and the device was missing,” DEP spokeswoman Lisa Kasianowitz told The Times Online. “Further, the gauge was not in its shipping container. The gauge user and a coworker promptly drove back along the route just traveled but were unable to find the device.”

Valley Quarries is offering an unspecified reward for information leading to the return of their device. One of the company’s safety officer’s told the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that he saw someone stop along the road, pick up and drive off with a device that appeared to be a gauge.

The last part confuses me just a little bit. If the safety officer saw someone pick up what he suspects may be the gauge why did he just watch the person take the thing? He could have called the police or at least follow the person, maybe get a license plate number.

In the past these things have been lost or taken and the rewards offered are between $500 and $1000.

Not sure where in WV the thing was lost and it's supposed to be safe as long as it stays intact.

Finders keepers losers weepers. Oh, five hundred buck reward Why don't I find stuff like that on the road, all I find is wrenches and lumber. Found a new pair of redwing boots one time that must have fallen off someones roof. Found a womans big wallet once on the highway, called her home and delivered it to the woman's house.

Never find really cool stuff like this.

Any nuclear plants in or around that area, could be a cover story for a leak?

Originally posted by skorpius
Any nuclear plants in or around that area, could be a cover story for a leak?

..what?

reply to post by rickymouse

Found a new pair of redwing boots one time that must have fallen off someones roof.

WTH?

Why would you think somebody's boots fell off a roof? ROTFL!

And the Carolina's are shutting down nuke plants for whatever reasons....

reply to post by billy565


The box was probably put on someones car roof temporarily when they left the store. It was found as I drove around a corner in town, I spotted them near the curb. I've done that before and I have seen things on top of the roof of cars driving around many times. Brain farts happen all the time.

I'm in southeastern WV. I think there is/was a quarry (owned by the company mentioned in the article) in Bruceton Mills, WV. My brother lives there, I'll have him check it out.

Originally posted by skorpius
Any nuclear plants in or around that area, could be a cover story for a leak?

There are no nuke plants in WV.

reply to post by rickymouse


Ohhhh......I thought you meant like a house roof! Now it makes sense.

Nice find did they fit?

reply to post by rickymouse


The only decent thing I've found like that was a portable beer cooler...the kind you plug into the cigarette adapter in a car. Been used many a nights fishing.

reply to post by billy565


fell off the back of a truck HAHA. Things like that dont just fall off the back of truck. Im guessing this is just a precursor to a story that will be much bigger.

I just cant believe they would be all in are face about it. When some says it fell off the back of a truck, that code for it was stolen.

I can picture Tony saprano on his cell phone "hey... i just got some new equipment, can you move it for me?"

gangster #2 "i dont know tony, got too many eyes on me, is it hot , were did you get it?"

Tony saprano "what you want from me, IT FELL OF THE BACK OF A TRUCK come to the docks at noon well get it packaged up real nice and you will take to our syrian friends up north"

gangster#2 "i dont know tony....."

Tony saprano "HEY...be there at noon , if you need a ride i got plenty of space in my trunk......."

Here is the owners manual for it...

Troxler 3430 - Surface Moisture Density Gauge

I'm not sure if this is the same unit the RSOE had a nuclear incident report of or not. Maybe two in a short period? Anyway... If someone doesn't go through the deliberate effort of cracking open the part that contains the core and then..basically, eats it or something? I'd say it's safe enough to not worry about. Of course, law says any loss of anything remotely like this needs a full blown investigation and recovery effort. So, I hope they do find it.

Looks like the device has been found.

reply to post by FatherStacks


i wonder if the people that "found" it had enough time yo remove the core before returning it

reply to post by billy565


Not many people have a size 14EEEE foot. I gave them to somebody who needed steel toe work boots when they were starting a new job. I now wear a 15EEEE boot, my feet are still growing.

Originally posted by FatherStacks
Looks like the device has been found.

Thanks 4 the update.

reply to post by Wrabbit2000


I just became a person of interest by looking at that manual. I am sure the one who found it looked at that manual also. The government could easily find out who now owns this instrument. Wouldn't you look up the manual online for something strange looking you found on the road

reply to post by rickymouse

lol.... That thought had crossed my mind as the obvious way they would look for who may have taken it. Then it occurred to me, there are thousands, if not millions of people who would think to do the same thing. Threat? What threat? Lets go find the manual and find out!

I hope they are more sophisticated than that about our national security and tracking things down...but you know? You may also be right, and they really are that simple in approach. After all, look what they miss and tend to screw up on a regular enough basis.

Originally posted by DocHolidaze
reply to post by billy565

 

fell off the back of a truck HAHA. Things like that dont just fall off the back of truck. Im guessing this is just a precursor to a story that will be much bigger.

I just cant believe they would be all in are face about it. When some says it fell off the back of a truck, that code for it was stolen.

I can picture Tony saprano on his cell phone "hey... i just got some new equipment, can you move it for me?"

gangster #2 "i dont know tony, got too many eyes on me, is it hot , were did you get it?"

Tony saprano "what you want from me, IT FELL OF THE BACK OF A TRUCK come to the docks at noon well get it packaged up real nice and you will take to our syrian friends up north"

gangster#2 "i dont know tony....."

Tony saprano "HEY...be there at noon , if you need a ride i got plenty of space in my trunk......."

LOL!!!
Sooo true!
This is exactly the scenario that played through my mind while reading the article. Yeah sure it fell off the back of the truck...give me a break!