Radioactive material sent to Texas A&M briefly missing
Update, Sept. 2, 2015 - Texas A&M released a new statement on the search for the missing material:
"Texas A&M University has located the radioactive source package that was missing. It was found in one of our secure hazardous material storage facilities. The package was unopened, undamaged and in its original shipping condition. The package is safe for transportation and storage and the community was never in any danger."
A package of radioactive material that was supposed to be delivered to an on-campus office at Texas A&M University has gone missing, CBS affiliate KBTX reports.
According to an internal email sent by Christopher Meyer, an assistant VP with the Office of Safety and Security, the shipment of was sent from Science Engineering and Education Company in Edina, Minnesota. The company makes radioactive material for equipment and research, KBTX reported.
In a statement to KBTX, a Texas A&M spokesperson said the school is confident the package was not received by the university's Radiation Safety Office.
"We obviously want to locate this package as quickly as possible because it does contain radioactive material, but we hasten to add it doesn't present a health threat to the community provided the contents, which are secured in a box with two layers of inner containment, are not disturbed," the statement said.
The university said it had reported the missing shipment "to all appropriate federal and state regulatory agencies."
The package is said to be a medium-sized cardboard box, weighing about 27 pounds, KBTX reported.
If anyone has any information about the box's whereabouts, they are asked to contact the Environmental Health and Safety Office immediately (979) 845-2132.