News, Reports & Events
As part of the Comprehensive Relicensing Settlement Agreement for the relicensing of the Parr and Fairfield hydroelectric projects on the Broad River, Dominion Energy established the Parr Habitat Enhancement Program (HEP) and regularly contributes funds for natural resource stewardship grants in the Broad, Saluda, and Congaree River watersheds. Types of projects that may be eligible for funding include stream restoration, removal of barriers to aquatic species, conservation, restoration, and enhancement of habitat for threatened, endangered and at-risk species, land conservation, developing low-impact facilities to access waterways for fishing and boating, and some research and monitoring activities. The HEP fund has already funded fisheries research, access improvements, and restoration planning activities. The 2026 Parr HEP request for proposals was recently released, and more than $300,000 will be available for projects this cycle. Proposals are due by July 31st.
Midlands Rivers Coalition Kicks off 10th Season of Water Quality Monitoring
In 2024, after several rounds of sampling and investigation, Congaree Riverkeeper filed a Clean Water Act lawsuit against Shaw Industries over discharges of PFAS "forever chemicals" into the Lower Saluda River from their plant in the Irmo area. Since that lawsuit was filed, there have been some significant updates that we can now share. Earlier this month the Post and Courier, working with PBS Frontline, AP, and others, ran an in-depth story on Congaree Riverkeeper's PFAS investigation work, the lawsuit with Shaw, and the steps that have been taken to address the issue. After we filed our lawsuit Shaw confirmed they had a PFAS problem at their site and we began working collaboratively to try and find solutions. Since then we agreed to pause the lawsuit while Shaw installed a treatment system that should remove most of the PFAS from their wastewater discharge and began work developing a long-term cleanup plan for their site. While we’re not at the finish line yet, we are pleased with the effort Shaw has made and we hope this can be a template for how to address industrial PFAS issues that are impacting so many communities. You can read the Post and Courier article on the Frontline website here: How a SC Riverkeeper’s Detective Work Reveals a Deeper Tale About the Carpet Industry’s PFAS Legacy
