Radioactive wasps were recently discovered at a nuclear facility in South Carolina, federal officials said.
According to a report released by the Department of Energy on July 22, Radiological Control Operations discovered a wasp nest earlier this month near a tank where liquid nuclear waste is stored at the Savannah River Site in the city of Aiken.
Formerly the Savannah River Plant, site is located about 55 miles southwest of Columbia, the state’s capital.
According to the energy department, the nest was sprayed to kill the wasp when it was found at 2 p.m. July 3. The nest was then bagged as radiological waste, the report said.
Officials concluded the nest had a radiation level 10 times what is allowed by federal regulations.
No injuries were noted in the one-page report.
How did the wasp nest become radioactive?
According to the report, the wasp nest became radioactive from “onsite legacy radioactive contamination” left behind from when the site was fully operational.
The site has not been fully operational in its original capacity for decades, according to its website.
The report also said the nest did not impact the nuclear facility.
Natalie Neysa Alund is a senior reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at nalund@usatoday.com and follow her on X @nataliealund.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Radioactive wasps were found at nuclear facility in U.S. See where.
