Forever Chemicals Found Pouring Onto Myrtle Beach And Into a Scenic River Miles Away
By Staff Writer
Toxic PFAS from a shuttered Air Force base is draining directly onto one of America’s most popular beaches. Meanwhile, the same family of chemicals has turned up in the Little Pee Dee River, tracing back to an industrial plant across the state line. Two contamination crises, two polluters, one state left holding the bag.
The water looks like any other tidal creek along the Grand Strand. Kids splash in it because it’s calmer than the surf. Parents set up chairs nearby. Seagulls work the shallows. It’s a postcard.
It’s also laced with some of the most persistent toxic compounds ever manufactured.
Researchers from Coastal Carolina University and the Winyah Rivers Alliance have documented what they’re calling alarmingly high concentrations of PFAS and polyfluoroalkyl substances, better known as forever chemicals in the water, foam, and soil of Midway Swash, a tidal creek that drains onto Myrtle Beach just north of Springmaid Pier. PFAS levels in the swash measured nearly 100 times higher than the EPA’s maximum allowable level for drinking water. Ocean foam near the swash showed levels over 10 times the drinking water limit. At least five distinct PFAS compounds were identified. https://samueleburns.substack.com/p/forever-chemicals-found-pouring-onto
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