The job of removing coal tar from the bottom of the Congaree River is ongoing. The cofferdam that was built on the river has been divided into two cells located just south of the Gervais Street Bridge.

Work crews have made huge progress, according to the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control, in sealing and dewatering the cofferdam. The Northern Cell sealing is complete and work to find Civil War artifacts or munitions has begun.

The Congaree Riverkeeper reported: “During the clearing of the objects several civil war era artifacts were recovered, primarily bullet fragments and grape shot.” (Grapeshot is a type of ammunition that consists of a collection of smaller-caliber round shots packed tightly in a canvas bag, according to Wikipedia.)

Removal of coal tar in the Northern Cell was scheduled to begin by June 1. Dominion Energy will be monitoring any odors from the coal tar once it is disturbed and will be spraying the material in loaded trucks with a solution that will trap the odor and limit its ability to affect the neighborhood during transport.

The Southern Cell sealing efforts are 80% complete and clearing of artifacts in it was scheduled to begin in June.

The photo below is a good representation of the layers of coal tar that can be seen since the Northern Cell has been dewatered. (DHEC photo)