SCE&G is in trouble with more than just ratepayers now.

The utility last year was found responsible for cleaning up century-old coal tar at the bottom of the Congaree River between Lexington and Richland counties.

The tar came from a 1900s plant which used coal to make gas for cooking.

A kayaker discovered the tar seeping out of sediment along the river 8 years ago.

SC Electic & Gas claimed the Army Corps of Engineers would not issue them a permit to dam the river to remove the tar. The utility considered an option to leave the tar but cover it with fabric held down by rocks. Capping the tar would cost $11 million less than removing it.

In a letter to SCE&G signed by the State Department of Health and Environmental Control last month, the Army Corps of Engineers said it never concluded the tar couldn’t be removed.

The Congaree Riverkeeper conservation group has threatened to sue if the fabric plan moves forward. Congaree Riverkeeper Bill Stangler said his group will continue to push for tar removal.

SCE&G said in November that repeated water quality tests found the river safe for recreational use.