COLUMBIA, S.C. — A years-long effort to remove toxic coal tar from the Congaree River in Columbia is complete.
The contamination, which had been deposited in the river for decades, first came to public attention more than 10 years ago.
Trucks laden with the last remnants of the Congaree River cleanup project are now rolling away from the site.
"I'm really happy to see it and happy to see a healthier river and a healthier community because of it,” said Congaree Riverkeeper Bill Stangler.
The project, which began in 2022, wrapped up an entire year ahead of schedule.
In 2010, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) identified the presence of tar that had drained into the river from an old gas plant in the area, which had closed its doors back in the 1950s.
Now that the cofferdams are gone, restoration efforts can begin, according to Stangler.
"They're armoring the stream banks to prevent erosion. They're planting trees along the upper part of the banks and then planting grass along the rest to stabilize that,” said Stangler.
In total, 38,000 tons of tar and associated materials were removed from the Congaree River and sent to a designated landfill.
"When the material is taken to the landfill, it's put into a lined landfill cell to prevent any environmental contamination,” Lucas Berresford of DHEC explained.
While undertaking this mammoth cleanup, a significant number of historical artifacts were unearthed and subsequently handed over to archaeologists for preservation.
Berresford said those items include a ship anchor, tires, and bombs from the Civil War.
"A lot of what was found was old grapeshot, which are the small metal balls that would be packed into an explosive ordinance and fired to explode and then rain down on,” said Berresford.
Looking to the future, Stangler believes this successful project will pave the way for further development along Columbia's riverfront.
"The City of Columbia is working with the private property owner and has plans to extend William Street through the property for development along the bluff, away from the floodplain. Additionally, they have ideas about trails, boat access, environmental education, and numerous other possibilities, but that is likely a few years down the road,” said Stangler.
As the project concludes, and the Congaree River begins its path to recovery, residents can anticipate a rejuvenated and vibrant riverfront community.
“After a few high water events is all that rock there fills in with some mud and some vegetation and it looks like a much more natural stream bank, down the road. Rivers are dynamic systems so it'll bounce back,” said Stangler.
While the coal tar has been successfully removed, DHEC has noted that it will take a little while longer to clear out the construction site. The expected completion of this work is before Thanksgiving.