A wasp nest with radiation levels 10 times higher than federal limits was discovered earlier this month at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina, a former Cold War-era nuclear weapons facility now focused on cleanup and nuclear fuel production.
The U.S. Department of Energy confirmed that workers found the nest on July 3 near tanks used to store liquid nuclear waste. The nest was removed and treated as radioactive waste, though no wasps were found. Officials say there is no danger to the public, as the tank farm is well within the secured facility perimeter.
The DOE attributes the radiation to “legacy contamination” — residual radioactivity from the site’s decades of nuclear weapons production. Watchdog group Savannah River Site Watch, however, criticized the agency’s report as lacking transparency, questioning how the wasps encountered the contamination and whether more nests exist.
“The public deserves to know whether this signals a leak or an ongoing risk,” said Tom Clements, executive director of the group. “Sunlight is the best disinfectant.”
Savannah River Site officials say no leak has been detected, and there is no indication the contamination originated from active waste tanks.
