A wasp nest with radiation contamination ten times higher than permissible limits was discovered at the Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina, an area historically used for nuclear weapons production. The US Department of Energy confirmed that the nest, containing no active wasps, was rendered safe by spraying and subsequently bagging it as radiological waste following its find on July 3 during routine inspections.
Despite the alarming radiation levels detected, officials assured that the contamination is not linked to any nuclear waste leaks and that there have been no effects on public health or the environment. Environmental watchdog groups, however, are calling for greater transparency, questioning the origin of the radioactive materials and the integrity of the facility’s current operations.
The Savannah River Site, established in the 1950s for plutonium production, continues its work today but centers on nuclear materials for power generation. The report highlighted that residual contamination from past operations remains a concern, and the wasps that inhabited the nest were likely exposed to less radiation than the nest itself. The area surrounding SRS is expansive, and officials maintain that no contamination has spread beyond the facility’s confines.
Local watchdog Savannah River Site Watch expressed frustration over the government’s communication regarding the radioactive nest and urged thorough investigations into potential legacy contamination sources. With over 165 million gallons of nuclear waste generated over its operating life, scrutiny over the handling and monitoring of radioactive materials at the site is increasing amid ongoing operations and storage of nuclear waste.
