In a letter dated May 12, the Solid Waste Permitting Section of South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), Williamsburg County Supervisor Stanley Pasley requested a Solid Waste Permit application to modify the existing Williamsburg County Landfill permit.
In the letter, Pasley explains that the Salters landfill has been a commercial facility since June 23, 2000, and eligible for a disposal rate near 2.5 million tons annually. Pasley added “However, our request is to increase the annual disposal rate to 400,000 tons per year from the current rate of 35,000 tons per year.”
It was also noted in the letter that the Salters landfill is exempt from requiring a Determination of Need, in that “any increase in the disposal rate shall not require a demonstration-of-need as long as such disposal rate is less than the maximum disposal rate” allowed by Regulation 61-107.17.
Pasley went on to say plans include the possibility of partnering with other counties in the state in order to establish a regional landfill. Senator Yancey McGill echoed those sentiments in an April 15, interview with The News. In the interview, McGill said he saw two viable solutions: The placement of a landfill in the county to meet the needs of its citizens only, or to create a relationship with surrounding counties where industry, businesses, and citizens would end up with free disposal and delivery for the next 40 to 50 years.
On June 3, Joan Litton, Manager, Solid Waste Permitting, Bureau of Land and Waste Management responded to the supervisor’s request, saying, “Staff has evaluated the information and determined that an increase in this facility’s annual disposal rate is allowed pursuant to the regulation’s provisions.” In addition, she stated that the department would consider an annual disposal limit of 400,000 tons, with the appropriate consideration of design capacity, operational capacity, operational life and other applicable regulatory requirements.
The Salters landfill is under order to close and the county is running out of time as they search to develop a plan to replace it. In February 2008, a proposed site was determined in Nesmith and the county entered into an agreement with MRR Southern but immense opposition that reached as far as the State Capitol steps struck down the deal.
Several organizations including the Coalition of Concerned Citizens of Williamsburg (CCCW), South Carolina Wildlife Federation (SCWF) and the Coastal Conservation League have been visible during the ongoing process. Tommy Stuckey, president of the CCCW, has been keep informed of the recent events through meetings that included his district Councilman W.B. Wilson and the senator. Though he has some concerns over the size of the permit, Stuckey believes the process is being held properly. “The permit is like a bargaining chip,” said Stuckey. “It could be to our financial advantage to go in with other counties that may bring down our disposal costs.” The Conservation League and SCWF together have gone on record by filing a request for a formal review conference with the board of DHEC concerning the approval of the permit modification for tonnage increase and demonstration of need.