Workers have discovered a wasp nest in South Carolina exceeding 10 times the radiation level allowed by the federal government. Employees at the Savannah River Site were conducting regular radiation tests when they found the nest on a post by a storage facility for liquid nuclear waste. The nest was promptly sprayed with insect killer and disposed of, though no wasps were found. Curiously, the area around the nest was not contaminated, according to a report from the U.S. Department of Energy. The department speculates that the nest was contaminated by historical materials, rather than a recent breach. Though the incident occurred on July 3, the report wasn’t filed until the end of the month. The site was constructed in the 1950s to produce materials, including plutonium and tritium, for nuclear weapons during the Cold War. Eight of the 51 underground tanks have been closed, the Associated Press reports. Now, the site is used to produce fuel for nuclear plants. “The nests do not pose a health risk to SRS workers, the community, or the environment. Work will continue at the SRS where we are fully committed to ensuring the health and safety of the workers and the community,” said the manager of Savannah River Site Office, Edwin Deshong.
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