Animals getting exposed to some type of nuclear radiation is a fairly common concept used in horror movies and sci-fi shows. It is easy to see why, since nuclear exposure can cause damage at the cellular level and result in mutations. In the stories, those mutations usually make the animal huge, aggressive, or otherwise dangerous. In real life, however, the mutations are normally much more deadly to the animal itself.

We might be getting a chance to see what really happens when dangerous animals are exposed to nuclear waste. In South Carolina, the Savannah River Site (SRS) is home to millions of gallons of liquid nuclear waste. This site was once used for making the radioactive portions of atomic weapons, and still today it makes fuel for nuclear power plants.

According to a CBS News report, the staff at this site found a wasp nest that was tested to be radioactive. In fact, it was at least ten times more radioactive than is considered safe.

Once the wasp nest was found, the staff sprayed it to ensure no wasps moved in. The problem, however, is that the wasps were already gone. This means that the wasps living at this nuclear waste facility may have flown away to other areas, possibly mixing with other colonies.

While the officials claim that these wasps would have been far less radioactive than the nest itself, it is still a concern for many. At the very least, some people are upset by the fact that the wasps can’t be collected and analyzed to see what, if any, mutations took place.

The Savannah River Site Watch is a watchdog group that monitors energy and nuclear issues at this location, and is very upset by what happened. Tom Clements talked with CBS News about the issue, saying:

“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 that the public should be aware of.”

The point he makes is a good one. Does this facility know where the radioactive contamination came from? Where is this liquid stored, and what types of steps are taken to ensure there aren’t any leaks?

It is clear that the wasps were exposed somewhere, and if the facility doesn’t know where, that is a major problem. It is very possible that the radioactive liquid is leaking down into the ground where it could contaminate the groundwater, which would be even worse than the wasp nest.

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