Statewide Maintenance Company, which owns the radiographic camera, is offering a reward for its return.
The downtown Houston skyline is photographed from Sabine Street Bridge Thursday, Oct. 6, 2022, in Houston.
Yi-Chin Lee/Staff photographer
An industrial camera containing radioactive material has gone missing in the Houston area, local and state authorities said Saturday.
Per the Houston Office of Emergency Management, the 53-pound camera, owned by Statewide Maintenance Company, was reported stolen Thursday at 4040 Little York Road in north Houston. The company is offering an unspecified reward for its return.
Officials told Sammy Turner of KHOU that it was taken out of a work truck.
HOEM officials issued an alert and said the device, commonly used in construction work, contains a radioactive “source” inside a capsule that’s covered with “protective shielding and other safety features.” The camera’s outside is marked with warnings and should not present any danger.
“The material is sealed within multiple layers of protection, and the risk of exposure is very low,” the alert said.
HOEM referred to and posted a photo of the SPEC-150 radiographic camera on its website and social media.
“If someone finds the camera, they should not try to open it and should call 9-1-1 or the DSHS 24-hour phone line at 512-458-7460 to report the location of the camera,” the alert notice said.