Local Groups Seek Voice in Proposed Coal Ash Waste Landfill Case

Local groups today filed a motion to intervene in the court case over Colleton County’s denial of a special exception for South Carolina Electric & Gas Co. to dump large quantities of coal ash waste from its coal-fired power plant on a 1,700 acre site within the county using dump trucks that would travel through local communities.

“Hundreds of local citizens attended the Zoning Board’s hearings to oppose SCE&G’s proposed coal ash landfill, and presented convincing evidence why the coal ash landfill should not be located in this rural area,” said Frank Holleman, senior attorney, Southern Environmental Law Center. “We’re seeking to intervene so that the voices of these community members will be heard during the appeal.”

The Southern Environmental Law Center filed the motion in state court on behalf of the Citizens for Colleton County, the Coastal Conservation League, and their local members. The groups and their members are concerned that operation of a coal ash waste landfill at the location would negatively and directly impact property values, traffic, the environment, and the nature of the local community in a beautiful part of the ACE Basin.

Coal ash waste typically contains a broad range of hazardous metals, including arsenic, selenium, and cadmium. Problems with industry’s storage of coal ash waste and lack of regulations came into national focus on December 22, 2008, when slurry spilled from the TVA Kingston facility into nearby homes and the Emory River in Tennessee.

After hearing evidence at two public hearings earlier this year, the Colleton County Board of Zoning Appeals concluded that the SCE&G proposal was incompatible with the rural area and existing homes and farming operations. SCE&G appealed the decision to the South Carolina Court of Common Pleas in Colleton County.