| In the interest of speed and timeliness, this story is fed directly from the Associated Press newswire and may contain spelling or grammatical errors. |
Radioactive item stolen from truck in Torrance
Thursday June 19, 2003TORRANCE, Calif. (AP) A testing device containing radioactive materials was reported stolen from a truck Thursday but is not considered dangerous unless broken, authorities said.
The moisture-density gauge, used at construction sites to test soil characteristics, was stolen about 6:45 a.m. from a vehicle parked in front of a convenience store.
The device contains two radioactive pellets that are double sealed in stainless steel, Los Angeles County health officials said. If removed and broken, the primary hazard would be to the skin or from inhaling or ingesting the radioactive material.
``The radiation levels outside the carrying case, or even near the gauge itself, are not hazardous,'' said Jonathan Fielding, the county's director of public health. ``We are concerned that someone may try to break open the device and be exposed to the radioactive materials.''
The gauge is in an orange plastic case and is about 24 inches long, 19 inches high, 16 inches wide and weighs about 88 pounds with the device inside. The container does have a radiation symbol on the outside.
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