Set limits to protect Wateree

The Wateree River flows 75 miles through the heartland of South Carolina. It moves canoes through the lush Congaree National Park -- and it soon could move an unrestricted amount of arsenic from the South Carolina Electric & Gas power plant upstream.

DHEC has plans to remove limits from the poisonous material that leaves the Wateree power facility and its coal waste ponds. The power company requested the free pass.

A monitoring well next to the river has found groundwater contaminated with arsenic 300 times above the federal drinking water limit, state inspection records show.

DHEC has said that in-stream measurements (taken after the contaminants have been diffused) are much lower and no danger to people. But some elements, like arsenic, can remain in fish or other organisms for a long time without dissipating.

More than 100 people attended a forum on the subject last week in Columbia. Virtually all who spoke criticized the Department of Health and Environmental Control plan.

Tracy Swartout, superintendent of Congaree Park, urged DHEC to reconsider. "Reductions or elimination of limits on arsenic could endanger the resources of the park, and the public who fish in the Wateree."

DHEC would require SCE&G to monitor quarterly for arsenic. If findings show a need for arsenic controls, DHEC will re-impose limits. But measurements vary significantly, and four times a year isn't enough to determine if a problem has arisen. Will it take a fish kill to raise a red flag?

Standards that the state has enforced are more lenient than many feel is appropriate. It would be a mistake to give SCE&G greater leeway.

The problems for the Wateree begin before it gets to SCE&G's plant. The Catawba River, which becomes the Wateree, was named one of the country's most endangered rivers in 2008.

With DHEC providing free rein, toxicity could be more of a problem in the Wateree, which eventually flows into the Congaree southeast of Columbia and provides drinking water for much of the lower part of the state. The river also is important for recreational, ecological and industrial uses.

SCE&G says removing arsenic limits will not change how the plant operates. "We're still committed to minimizing our impact on the environment," spokesman Robert Yanity said.

The Wateree facility, however, also is one of the top 10 air pollution emitters in the state, according to a Post and Courier Watchdog analysis. Scrubbers being installed will capture airborne contaminants that could pollute the river if not disposed of properly.

The coal-burning Wateree facility was built in the 1960s. Over the years, SCE&G dumped coal ash, which can contain high concentrations of arsenic, in two large ponds. Arsenic can cause nausea, vomiting, skin disorders and, in extreme instances, death. It's also been linked to cancer.

South Carolina's rivers are among its finest assets for a number of reasons, including their use to industry. DHEC should set appropriate limits on the amount of arsenic and other discharges that get into rivers from industry. Healthy rivers are good for people and animals -- and, in the long-term, for the state's economic health.