Radioactive wasp nest found at US nuclear facility
A radioactive wasp nest has been found at a facility that used to produce parts for nuclear weapons in America. The nest was found to contain ten times the radiation levels allowed under regulations, federal officials said.
“The wasp nest was sprayed to kill wasps, then bagged as radiological waste,” a US Department of Energy report released last week said. The site, near Aiken in South Carolina, was not found to have any wasps near it.
The contamination, experts say, is unrelated to a nuclear waste leak, adding that there is no impact to “the environment, or the public.” However, the government’s handling of the situation has been criticised.
The radioactive wasp nest was found on 3rd July by workers who regularly inspect for nuclear radiation at the Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina. It was discovered on a post close to where millions of gallons of liquid nuclear waste had been stored. There was no leak from the waste tanks, according to the report.
The dangerously high radiation levels on the nest were attributed to “onsite legacy radioactive contamination” by the investigators. This is where residual radioactivity can remain from the time when the site had been actively producing parts for nuclear bombs during the Cold War.
The site was opened in the 1950s when it created plutonium that would be used for the core of nuclear bombs. It continues to operate today but prioritises parts for power plants.
The report from the energy department stated that the wasps living in the nest would have significantly lower radiation levels compared to the nest itself, adding that wasps typically fly only a few hundred feet from the nest itself. With the nest being in the middle of a 310-square-mile site, there is little chance that they travelled further than the facility.
Stay tuned to EyeOnLondon for the latest news and expert opinions.
Follow us on:
Subscribe to our YouTube channel for the latest videos and updates!
We value your thoughts! Share your feedback and help us make EyeOnLondon even better!
