• A radioactive wasp nest was discovered at the Savannah River Site in South Carolina.
• The radiation levels of the nest were found to be ten times higher than allowed by federal regulations.
• No current leaks have been detected from the nuclear waste tanks nearby.
• Investigators attribute the radiation to legacy contamination from Cold War operations.
• Environmental groups have raised concerns about the lack of clarity regarding contamination sources.

Workers at the Savannah River Site (SRS) in South Carolina discovered a radioactive wasp nest, which was found to emit radiation levels ten times higher than legal limits. This nest was uncovered during routine inspections on July 3, located on a post near tanks holding liquid nuclear waste. Officials confirmed that no wasps were on-site and that the nest was subsequently treated and bagged as radioactive waste, according to HuffPost and BBC.

The report from the U.S. Department of Energy indicates that the contamination does not relate to any leaks from the waste tanks and has no current impact on the environment or public health. The radioactive levels have been attributed to "onsite legacy radioactive contamination," a remnant from the facility's past operations during the Cold War, when it produced components for nuclear weapons, according to India Times and BBC.

Despite the high radiation levels found in the nest, the wasps that may have inhabited it would have been exposed to lower levels. Since wasps typically do not travel far from their nests, and the discovery site is located well within the facility's boundaries, officials believe there is little risk of any contamination spreading beyond the site. This assessment reassures the public regarding potential safety threats, according to HuffPost and India Times.

Nevertheless, environmental groups have expressed dissatisfaction with the handling of the situation, demanding more transparency regarding the origins of the contamination. "I’m as mad as a hornet that SRS didn’t explain where the radioactive waste came from or if there is some kind of leak from the waste tanks," stated Tom Clements, director of Savannah River Site Watch, highlighting ongoing concerns about the facility's environmental accountability, according to HuffPost, BBC, and India Times.