The US Department of Energy has reported the discovery of a radioactive wasp nest at the Savannah River site in South Carolina, a facility once used for nuclear weapons production. The nest was found on 3 July near tanks storing liquid nuclear waste.
According to a 22 July department report, the nest was sprayed and disposed of as radiological waste. Testing confirmed radiation levels more than ten times the federal limit for total contamination. Officials stated the contamination stemmed from 'onsite legacy radioactive contamination' and was not due to a loss of control.
The Savannah River Mission Completion, which manages the site, said radiological control staff discovered the nest during routine monitoring. The area was secured and surveyed, with no contamination found in the surrounding ground. 'There were no impacts to workers, the environment or the public,' a spokesperson said.
Tom Clements, executive director of the Savannah River Site Watch watchdog, expressed concern that the department did not explain the source of the radioactive waste or whether a leak from the waste tanks might exist. The nest was located in the F-Area Tank Farm, which contains 22 underground carbon steel tanks holding up to 1.3 million gallons of radioactive waste each.
