Potentially thousands of tiny plastic pellets have leaked into the Congaree River, littering the waterway south of Columbia and raising concerns about the toxic effects they could have on wildlife and water quality, as well as people who spend time on the river.
A Columbia area environmental group says it discovered the pellets in and around the Alpek Polyester-Eastman Chemical manufacturing plant during an investigation that began last winter. Now, the Congaree Riverkeeper organization says it will sue the companies if the facility doesn’t stop the flow of pellets and a cancer-causing chemical in the next three months. The group notified company officials of its intent in a letter Wednesday.
The pellets, known commonly as “nurdles,’’ are produced and used in the manufacturing of a variety of plastic products, ranging from soft drink bottles to food packages…