Efforts to remove toxic coal tar from the Congaree River running through Columbia and West Columbia have reached their end.

Per an update from the state Department of Health and Environmental Control, a visual inspection conducted Oct. 5 confirmed that the tar-like material and sediment “had been removed to the extent practicable.”

“After the final site inspection, DHEC sent a letter to Dominion Energy stating that the removal efforts were complete and that the Area 2 Cofferdam could begin process of deconstruction,” the report states. “In all, more than 35,000 tons of material was removed.”

Dominion Energy worked with DHEC to remove the coal tar across the last two years, setting up two coffer dams to seal off affected areas, draining them so that the pollutant could be removed from the riverbed.

“Workers have started the process of removing the Area 2 Cofferdam,” the DHEC report states. “The pumps have been removed and the concrete armoring is being stripped off. Once that is complete, workers will begin in the center of the cofferdam road and work their way both ways removing the rock until they get to the river bank.

“Restoration of the shoreline near the Area 1 cofferdam is taking shape. The banks have been armored to prevent erosion, the area beyond that has been hydroseeded, and soon trees will be planted to aid in the restoration process.”

The coal tar was found within sediments of the river in June 2010. The toxic substance was drained into the Congaree from a gas plant between 1900 and 1950. 

The DHEC report notes material excavated from the coffer dam is being transported to a landfill:

“At the landfill, the tar-like material and sediment is being run through a screen to sort out the material by particle size. The larger screened particles are scanned with metal detectors and any items detected are looked at by archeologists to determine if they may be a Civil War artifact or have other historical significance. They have been able to identify a fair amount of Civil War artifacts and other items through this process. This work will be ongoing for the next few months.” 

Lexington Burlington store sets opening date

National discount retail chain Burlington, formerly known as Burlington Coat Factory, will open in Lexington later this month.

The chain announced that its location at 5322 Sunset Blvd., next door to a Hobby Lobby, will welcome customers starting Oct. 27.

The shopping center Burlington will join, called Lexington Marketplace, is also home to a Prisma Health Internal Medicine practice, an Ulta Beauty, a Showmars, and a MOD Pizza, among other businesses.

During its grand opening festivities, the store will offer several incentives to get people through the door — with the first 100 customers (18 and up) on Oct. 27 and 28 receiving a $10 Bonus Card toward their purchase and customers receiving a free Burlington umbrella (while supplies last, no purchase necessary) on Oct. 29.

The store is also marking a donation to the community.

“To celebrate the Grand Opening of their new store location and highlight their ongoing commitment to education, the retailer will be donating $5,000 to a nearby school through their long-standing partnership with the national non-profit organization AdoptAClassroom.org. Funds will be used to provide students in  a local  high-need school with classroom materials they need to learn and succeed,” the release states. “The presentation of the donation to the local school community will take place at the [Oct. 27] ribbon-cutting ceremony.”

The school receiving the donation isn’t specified.

The Lexington store will sell apparel and footwear for ladies, men and kids, along with options for babies, home decor, pet care and toys.

Per the release, there are more than 900 stores nationwide, with the Lexington addition bringing the state total to 13. There are two existing Burlington stores in the area, both in Columbia, one to the Northeast off Two Notch Drive and another attached to the Dutch Square Center. 

Store hours will be 8 a.m.-11 p.m. Monday-Thursday, 9 a.m.-11:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday and 9 a.m.-11 p.m. Sunday.

West Columbia coffee shop owner to purchase Columbia’s Drip

A Columbia coffee institution will now be owned by a relative newcomer to West Columbia.

Akera Sellers, who co-owns West Columbia’s Brickhouse Gourmet Coffee & Tea, is set to purchase Drip Coffee, which has operated in Columbia’s Five Points neighborhood for more than 12 years.

The State’s Chris Trainor first reported the news and writes that the ownership change is still in process.

“It’s a perfect opportunity for us,” Sellers — who co-owns Brickhouse with his wife, Alexis Wright-Sellers — is quoted “We see that Drip is about community. That’s one thing we realized at the beginning, at the start of Brickhouse, is that we are community focused. So when [Drip’s Sean McCrossin] told me he was looking to transition out, I thought it would be a perfect opportunity.”

Brickhouse hasn’t had nearly as much time as Drip, a fixture for city folk and college kids alike at 729 Saluda Ave., to ingrain itself in its community. But the West Columbia shop has made big strides, becoming a frequent presence at community events as it has introduced itself to the area.

The business — which started in 2019 as a nomadic and online outlet for coffee beans and tea leaves, connecting with customers digitally and at local markets — moved into the small cafe attached to the front of Prima Gourmet’s space in West Columbia. That market and meal service business was attempting to reopen and rebrand in February 2022 following a temporary closure, bringing in Brickhouse to add locally produced coffee.

But then Primal shuttered two months later, leaving the coffee shop in a weird spot at the front of an industrial kitchen that didn’t really suit its needs.

Brickhouse should be out of that situation soon, though, having announced plans to move into the building immediately next door, taking over a storefront at 729 Meeting St. previously occupied by the boutique Messie’s Closet. 

Lexington Medical Center gets nod from American College of Cardiology

Lexington Medical Center has a new accreditation.

The 607-bed hospital, located in West Columbia, announced that it has “received Chest Pain Center Accreditation with Primary Percutaneous Coronary Intervention from the American College of Cardiology for its expertise and commitment to treating patients with chest pain.”

“The hospital has also received accreditation as a Cardiac Catheterization Lab with Percutaneous Coronary Intervention Center,” a release notes.

Per the release, “PCI is coronary intervention that includes angioplasty, thrombectomy and stenting.”

“These non-surgical procedures open narrowed or blocked coronary arteries to relieve symptoms of heart disease or reduce heart damage during or after a heart attack,” the release states. “Hospitals that earn ACC Chest Pain Center with Primary PCI accreditation have proven exceptional competency in treating patients with heart attack symptoms and have primary PCI available 24 hours a day, every day of the year.”