Incorrect data washed up in S.C.

Never mind. An environmental group — after rating South Carolina's beaches the worst in the Southeast for water quality and Sullivan's Island as the seventh-worst in the state — backed off its report Thursday after being challenged by state regulators.

"To our regret, we discovered after our report was released that U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's monitoring data for South Carolina were incorrect," wrote Mark Dorfman, an author of Natural Resource Defense Council's annual national beach report for 2007, to Shannon Berry, S.C. Health and Environmental Control's beach monitoring program coordinator.

The new numbers mirror the state's own numbers. For example, the NRDC report characterized South Carolina as the only state in the Southeast whose beaches had more than 10 percent of its water quality tests show more bacteria than is considered safe. The revised number puts the state at 6 percent, roughly on a par with other states in the region.

Sullivan's Island still tied for seventh-worst beach in the state, but its failed test percentage was refigured at 8 percent. The report originally said 15 percent. The data were sent to state regulators in a draft for approval.

"We continue to stress that these numbers have been wrong. Our concern remains, how does the rest of the country get this (revised) information? The misinformation may remain in people's minds. How do we correct that misimpression?" said Clair Boatwright, DHEC public information director.

Reach Bo Petersen at 745-5852 or bpetersen@ postandcourier.com.