Saturday, August 02, 2025
The US Department of Energy discovered a radioactive wasp nest near the Savannah River Site (SRS) nuclear waste facility in South Carolina. The nest was found to have ten times more radiation than permitted levels. The wasp nest was found near tanks that are being used to store millions of gallons of liquid nuclear waste. The nest was sprayed with insect killer, removed and disposed of as radiological waste. Wasps generally fly only a few hundred feet from their nest and the nest was found in the middle of the 310-square-mile SRS meaning there is little chance they flew outside of the facility. Investigators say that the radiation was not related to any nuclear waste leak and that there was no impact on the environment or the public.
More
The SRS opened in the 1950s, when it was creating plutonium to be used in the core of nuclear bombs. The site continues to operate today, but with a focus on nuclear material for power plants. There are approximately 80 commercial nuclear power plants across 34 states, and each of these produces spent nuclear fuel, which is often stored on-site in pools or dry casks.
Comments
