Missing Portable Nuclear Gauge Recovered in Connecticut

Nuclear Regulatory Commission - Press Release
No. I-16-023 July 27, 2016
Contact: Diane Screnci, 610-337-5330 Neil Sheehan, 610-337-5331

Missing Portable Nuclear Gauge Recovered in Connecticut
A Connecticut company has notified the Nuclear Regulatory Commission that a portable nuclear gauge reported stolen early Tuesday has been recovered. The gauge, which was located by police

Tuesday afternoon at a pawn shop in Bridgeport, Conn., was not damaged.
An inspector from Connecticut’s Department of Energy and Environmental Protection traveled to the shop Tuesday to inspect the gauge. Once the inspector confirmed the device was undamaged, it was returned to its owner.

The NRC is following up on the event. This includes an NRC inspection being conducted today at the offices of HAKS Material Testing Group in Bridgeport.

On Tuesday morning, HAKS Material Testing Group reported to the NRC that the gauge was stolen from a technician’s vehicle while it was parked in Bridgeport. The vehicle’s trunk was broken into, chains securing the gauge in place were cut and it was removed.

The gauge is used for such industrial purposes as measuring the density of soil at construction sites. It contains small amounts of radioactive material that is shielded within the device when it is not in use.

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