River Reedy for a Comeback

Written by Gary Hyndman

“We certainly have tools we can use to improve the quality of water in the Reedy.”  Tom Keith, Executive Director, Friends of the Reedy River

When Colonial Pipeline’s number two line ruptured near Simpsonville in 1996, the diesel fuel that spewed into the Reedy River created an environmental disaster of epic proportions.

The 960,000 gallons of toxic sludge spread across a 23-mile segment of the river south of downtown Greenville, killing 35,000 fish and devastating the food chain for mammals, birds and aquatic life. The U.S. Justice Department called it “the sixth largest oil spill in U.S. history.”

Atlanta-based Colonial Pipeline pled guilty to federal criminal charges and paid a $7 million fine. In a separate civil action, the company paid a settlement of $6.6 million that was placed in the South Carolina Mitigation Trust Fund, a portion of which is now available to Greenville and Laurens counties for river enhancements.

The Greenville County Recreation District is drawing upon those funds to purchase land along the southern end of the Reedy for public parks and river access.

Tom Keith, executive director of Friends of the Reedy River, says the land purchases are an appropriate use of the money. His nonprofit conservation group was founded in 1993 to do environmental advocacy and public education on behalf of the river.

The fact that the organization pre-dates the 1996 oil spill speaks to a long history of abuse and neglect. For the better part of a century, the Reedy received regular discharges of sewage and industrial waste. By the 1970s, the river was so foul no one wanted anything to do with it.

Thanks to the 1972 Clean Water Act and stricter enforcement by the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control, the Reedy’s water quality has steadily improved. Friends of the Reedy has also assisted by sponsoring volunteer clean up days and public education campaigns as well as taking legal action when necessary to enforce federal and state law.

Brad Wyche, executive director of Upstate Forever, credits Friends of the Reedy with ensuring money from the Colonial Pipeline settlement was reserved for use on the river and S.C. representatives Eric Bedingfield (Greenville County) and Mike Pitts (Laurens County) with a recent agreement to share those funds equally between the two counties.

The water remains unsafe for fishing and swimming. And it still faces challenges from new development near the river that has increased the flow of sediment and pollution from storm water run off.

But it is fit for recreational boating and passive parks. According to Mike Teachey, the recreation district’s community relations director, his organization is pursuing other recreational opportunities on the river. The Reedy’s potential as a recreation venue is still in its infancy and, as these groups continue their work, the opportunities will only grow.