Overview

• Four radioactive wasp nests have been discovered and safely removed from the Savannah River Site with no surrounding contamination detected.
• A July 22 DOE report found the first nest had 10 times the federal radiation limit, which officials tied to on-site legacy contamination rather than active leaks.
• Wasp nests were sprayed inert, bagged and treated as radiological waste, with follow-up surveys confirming no spread of contamination.
• Edwin Deshong, manager of DOE’s Savannah River office, said the low-level hotspots pose no health risk to site workers, nearby residents or the environment.
• Environmental watchdogs, including Savannah River Site Watch, are calling on the DOE to clarify how wildlife encounters buried radioactive materials and to accelerate cleanup efforts.