Overview

• Four radioactive wasp nests discovered since early July have been sprayed, bagged and treated as radiological waste by DOE teams.
• Radiation readings in the nests exceeded federal limits by up to tenfold but are attributed to lingering Cold War–era waste rather than any active leak.
• Follow-up surveys around each removed nest detected no additional soil or groundwater contamination.
• Savannah River Site Watch and other advocates are demanding clear explanations of how the insects were exposed and whether hidden contamination pathways remain.
• The site holds over 34 million gallons of liquid radioactive waste in 43 underground tanks, and its cleanup, begun in 1996, is slated to continue through 2065.