COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) - State records show that South Carolina Electric & Gas Company has changed plans for removing coal tar from the Congaree River near Columbia.
SCE&G changed plans at the request of state regulators, The State newspaper (https://bit.ly/2iCIHEj) reported.
The newspaper reported that state and federal documents it reviewed showed the new plan would have SCE&G cover some of the river bed with fabric and stones.
The utility originally planned to dam part of the river temporarily so it could dig up the coal tar that had drained from a company owned-site.
The state Department of Health and Environmental Control has concluded that diverting the river is not practical. The state officials say a temporary dam could cause erosion on the river shoreline and flooding in some areas. An alternative using sandbags would not work at all, the agency said.
SCE&G’s original plan was expected to cost $18.5 million. Covering the coal tar with rocks and fabric would cost about $7.7 million, saving the company about $11 million.
DHEC says the part of the river bottom is less than 3 acres in size.
The Congaree Riverkeeper’s Bill Stangler criticized the change Tuesday, saying the new plan was dev3eloped without public comment.
“SCE&G was very public about their commitment to cleaning it up several years ago,” Stangler said. “When the plan shifted, they did it very quietly.”
SCE&G spokeswoman Ginny Jones said DHEC has told the company that putting a cap over the coal tar is enough to restore the area for recreational use.
Work should begin this year on the capping project, Jones said.
“The cap, when in place, will create a permanent barrier between the affected sediment and recreational river users,” she said in an email. “Over time, the cap will be covered by silt that will naturally deposit over the capped area.”
DHEC says the tar is only a risk to those who come in skin contact with it.
But Stangler says coal tar pollution is nothing to dismiss. Leaving it in the river will risk future environmental problems, he said.
DHEC says the tar apparently came from an early 20th century manufactured gas plant uphill from the river in Columbia. The tar has apparently been on the river bottom for more than 50 years.
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Information from: The State, https://www.thestate.com
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