Officials at a former nuclear site in South Carolina have made a surprising find: a radioactive wasp nest. This discovery occurred during routine radiation checks at the Savannah River site close to Aiken, where the nest was located inside a tank meant for liquid nuclear waste.
The U.S. Department of Energy filed a report on July 22, highlighting that the nest contained radiation levels ten times above what is permitted by federal standards. Interestingly, no wasps were found at the nest itself.
The report mentioned, “The wasp nest was treated to eliminate the insects and subsequently bagged as radioactive waste. The immediate area showed no signs of contamination.” That’s a relief, I suppose, but it raises a lot of questions about how this happened in the first place.
It appears the nest may have become radioactive due to legacy contamination left over from when the site was actively operational. Currently, Savannah River site is still involved in producing nuclear power plants and the necessary fuel for cleanup efforts. Out of 43 underground tanks still in operation, eight are already closed.
A watchdog group, Savannah River Site Watch, criticized the report for lacking clarity regarding the contamination’s origin and how the wasps ended up there. Tom Clements, the group’s executive director, expressed his frustration, stating, “I’m as angry as the hornet for SRS for not explaining where radioactive waste came from or if there’s been any leakage from the waste tanks that the public needs to be aware of.”
The company monitoring the Savannah River Mission assured the community that when the nest was discovered, safety measures were promptly enacted, ensuring there was no contamination in that area.
In 1950, President Harry Truman had announced a ramp-up of the U.S. atomic energy program. The facility opened soon after, primarily serving the defense program by producing essential materials related to tritium and plutonium-239.
According to reports, Savannah River has generated over 165 million gallons of liquid nuclear waste, although that number has decreased to around 34 million gallons due to evaporation processes.
Moreover, it was reported that three additional nests similar to the first one have been found. The Savannah River site encompasses roughly 310 square miles in the Sand Hills region of South Carolina, just shy of the Georgia border.
