Radioactive wasps found at South Carolina nuclear facility

A radioactive wasp nest was discovered on July 3 at the Savannah River Site, a former nuclear weapons facility in South Carolina. The nest, found near a storage tank, registered radiation levels of 100,000 dpm and was classified as “legacy contamination,” unrelated to recent site activity. Officials say surrounding areas showed no contamination, and operations were unaffected, the Independent has reported. The site, active since the Cold War and now undergoing cleanup, highlights how wildlife can be affected by past nuclear activity—a global issue seen in animals from sea turtles in the Pacific to wild boars in Europe contaminated by past nuclear testing and fallout.