The US Department of Energy says a radioactive wasp nest has been found.
The discovery was made at the Savannah River Site, a former nuclear weapons production facility in South Carolina.
The U.S. Department of Energy reported that the nest—located near tanks storing liquid nuclear waste—showed radiation levels more than ten times higher than federal limits. Though no wasps were found on the nest, officials say any individual insects would carry significantly lower levels of contamination. The nest was promptly neutralized and disposed of as radiological waste.
The contamination was attributed to “legacy” radioactive materials still present at the site, not an active leak or breach. Officials emphasized that no radiation was detected in the surrounding soil and there were no impacts to workers, the public, or the environment. Still, watchdogs are raising alarms, with critics demanding clarity on the contamination’s origin and whether it suggests a deeper issue. Once central to Cold War-era nuclear weapons production, the 310-square-mile site now focuses on waste cleanup and environmental monitoring—underscoring the long-lasting complexity of managing nuclear legacies.
source
US Department of Energy