Story by Curtis Walsh – Beaver County Radio News Director. Published December 6, 2023 2:53 P.M.

(Potter Township, Pa) Three Rivers Waterkeeper has filed a lawsuit against Beaver County polystyrene pellet producer Stryropek. Heather Hulton Vantassel, Executive Director of Three Rivers Waterkeeper, joined Mike Romigh during “Live Mic” on Beaver County Radio Wednesday to discuss their findings.
Vantassel says Styropek has been disposing plastic polystyrene beads, referred to as “nurdles”, from their plant in Potter Township into the confluence of the Raccoon Creek and Ohio River in Potter Township. The pellets were initially discovered when crews were testing for baseline samples around the Shell Polymers plant prior to it being operational. Litter and debris in water exposed the nurdle buildup. They have also found them in the sediment and “all over the vegetation”. Currently, it is not known how many have been discharged, or for how long.
Vantassel says it’s “really hard to clean up, it’s not just plastic pollution. Aquatic and birdlife think they are fish eggs and can eat them, they can actually continue to break down in the envirement until they are microscopic. Without proper filtration in our water systems, we can end up consuming them”. She adds that they can also aid in carrying other toxic materials. She says that the more time they have to break down further, they will pass the point of being able to be filtered and will make their way into local water supplies and eventually to the ocean.
Three Rivers Waterkeeper filed their initial complaint as soon as they realized the pellets were being found everywhere in the water with the PA Department of Environmental protection. Styropek has currently been communicating with Three Rivers Waterkeeper, holding themselves accountable and willing to negotiate for a remediation strategy.
Vantassel says the discharges are believed to be accidental and were not intentional by Styropek and simply part of other discharges of alternate substances. The issue that Three Rivers Waterkeeper has however, is that even after Stryropek was made aware of the problem in 2022, they have not made an attempt to prevent the discharges to this day. The lawsuit filed against them will help Three Rivers Waterkeeper pursue the issue if Stryopek were to stop coorperating with them.
Monthly patrols of the water are still resulting in finding more nurdles. Vantassel says it is currently unclear if the nurdles pose an immediate threat, partially because they don’t know how long they have been there. It is possible that water quality could be impacted at this point, and Three Rivers Waterkeeper recommends filtering water at the home level.
Three River Waterkeeper actively monitor the Allegheny, Monongahela, and Ohio Rivers, and you can learn more about them by visiting www.3rwk.org.