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National database ranks Charleston second-worst for plastic pellet pollution


Charleston lands on a lot of lists, but this time, it’s not for the beautiful beaches. According to researchers, Charleston now ranks number two for the worst plastic pellet pollution. (WCIV)
Charleston lands on a lot of lists, but this time, it’s not for the beautiful beaches. According to researchers, Charleston now ranks number two for the worst plastic pellet pollution. (WCIV)
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Charleston lands on a lot of lists, but this time, it’s not for the beautiful beaches. According to researchers, Charleston now ranks number two for the worst plastic pellet pollution. The plastic pellets, also called “nurdles”, first popped up on Sullivan’s Island in July.

Jace Tunnell, a researcher at the University of Texas Marine Science Institute, said Charleston ranks among the worst in the nation, second only to the Texas coast, an area filled with plastics factories. Tunnell began building a national database last year called Nurdle Patrol, which documents pellet pollution with the help from citizens.

“If you compare what Texas has to Charleston, Charleston has some really high numbers of pellets,” said Tunnell. “We’re getting a big picture of the real problem that’s going on with these pellets.”

Andrew Wunderley with the Charleston Waterkeeper began collecting pellet samples in September following the nurdle spill over the summer. He said the findings mapped out on Nurdle Patrol are disturbing but not exactly surprising.

“We use the same sampling protocol as researchers down in the Gulf Coast, so our data is really comparable,” Wunderley said. “I knew we had a problem but what this shows us is just how severe this problem is. We’ve got a big problem here in the Charleston Harbor and we need to get this solved.”

Between manufacturers and distributors, Tunnell said the possibility of pellets getting out onto the ground exists all along the supply chain. He said the Nurdle Patrol database can help spur regulatory change across the industry.

“Work with the state agencies on stricter stormwater permits to where it has language that says zero pellet loss is allowed in the stormwater,” he said. “Then if regulators find one single pellet coming out of the facility then there’s a fine associated with it and that changes the way businesses do business.”

It’s what led the Charleston Waterkeeper and the Coastal Conservation League, represented by the Southern Environmental Law Center, to take legal action against a local distribution company in October. A 60-day notice was sent to the company on the grounds of violations of the Clean Water Act.

“We need very strong controls to make sure they’re not spilling, and we need good strong state regulation, a strong and active environmental agency that holds these folks to account for spilling into our waterways,” Wunderley said. “The extent to this type of pollution is just becoming known, so we’ve really uncovered a new issue with plastic pollution.”

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