Radioactive Wasp Nest Found at Former Nuclear Bomb Site
So here’s something that sounds like it came straight out of a sci-fi movie — a radioactive wasp nest was discovered at a former U.S. nuclear weapons facility in South Carolina. Yeah, you heard that right — a wasp nest, but not your average backyard kind. This one was found emitting radiation levels more than ten times above what’s allowed under federal safety limits.
The discovery was made on July 3rd during a routine inspection at the Savannah River Site, which is a massive 310-square-mile complex near Aiken, South Carolina. This site used to produce nuclear bomb components during the Cold War and is still involved in nuclear materials work today, though now it’s more about cleanup and energy research. The nest itself was located on a stanchion near Tank 17, in an area known as the F-Area Tank Farm — where millions of gallons of liquid nuclear waste are stored in underground tanks.
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Now, don’t worry — officials say there’s no evidence of a leak from the waste tanks. According to the U.S. Department of Energy, the radiation came from what they call “legacy contamination,” which is leftover radioactivity from back when the facility was actively making nuclear bomb parts. It wasn’t the result of any current failure or incident.
When the wasp nest was found, it was immediately sprayed to eliminate any remaining insects (although no live wasps were present), and then it was safely bagged up and classified as radiological waste. It registered over 100,000 disintegrations per minute per 100 square centimeters — that’s a lot of radiation, especially considering federal regulations kick in at much lower levels.
The area around the nest was thoroughly checked, and thankfully, no other contamination was detected. The Department of Energy emphasized there was no risk to the workers, the environment, or the public. They also mentioned that wasps typically only travel a few hundred feet from their nest, so it's unlikely the insects carried radiation outside the site.
Still, not everyone is satisfied with the government’s explanation. Environmental watchdog groups, like Savannah River Site Watch, are calling for more transparency. Their spokesperson, Tom Clements, even said he was “as mad as a hornet” about the lack of detail on where exactly the contamination came from, and whether it might signal deeper issues with the site’s long-term safety.
So while no one was hurt and the situation appears contained, it’s yet another reminder that the legacy of nuclear weapons production can stick around — sometimes in the most unexpected places, like a wasp’s nest.
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