A site in South Carolina, formerly used for manufacturing key components of nuclear bombs, recently saw the appearance of a radioactive wasp nest, with radiation levels reaching ten times the federal legal limit.
According to a report from the US Department of Energy, on July 3, staff conducting routine radiation checks near Aiken, South Carolina, at the Savannah River Site, discovered a wasp nest on a post near a tank used to store liquid nuclear waste.
Officials indicated that the radiation level of the wasp nest was ten times higher than the limit allowed by federal regulations.
Officials stated that employees immediately sprayed the nest with insecticide and treated it as radioactive waste. No wasps were found inside the nest.
The Department of Energy report said that the waste storage tank did not leak, and the nest was most likely radioactive due to so-called "on-site residual radioactive contamination," leftover radioactive material that remains after the facility was fully operational.
In any case, officials pointed out that the current situation poses no danger to anyone.
In addition, the watchdog organization “Savannah River Site Watch” stated that the Department of Energy report was incomplete in many respects, including not detailing where the contamination originated, how the wasps may have come into contact with the radioactive source, or whether there could be more radioactive wasp nests present.
According to a report from the US Department of Energy, on July 3, staff conducting routine radiation checks near Aiken, South Carolina, at the Savannah River Site, discovered a wasp nest on a post near a tank used to store liquid nuclear waste.
Officials indicated that the radiation level of the wasp nest was ten times higher than the limit allowed by federal regulations.
Officials stated that employees immediately sprayed the nest with insecticide and treated it as radioactive waste. No wasps were found inside the nest.
The Department of Energy report said that the waste storage tank did not leak, and the nest was most likely radioactive due to so-called "on-site residual radioactive contamination," leftover radioactive material that remains after the facility was fully operational.
In any case, officials pointed out that the current situation poses no danger to anyone.
In addition, the watchdog organization “Savannah River Site Watch” stated that the Department of Energy report was incomplete in many respects, including not detailing where the contamination originated, how the wasps may have come into contact with the radioactive source, or whether there could be more radioactive wasp nests present.