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In the interest of speed and timeliness, this story is fed directly from the Associated Press newswire and may contain spelling or grammatical errors.
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Radioactive item stolen from truck in Torrance
Thursday June 19, 2003
TORRANCE, 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.
(Copyright 2003 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
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