What's At Stake
South Carolina is a dumping ground for hazardous waste at Pinewood, for low level nuclear waste at Barnwell, for high level nuclear waste at the Savannah River Site and increasingly, for out-of-state municipal and industrial solid waste and garbage.
For more than three decades, Barnwell was the “path of least resistance” for commercial waste from the nation’s nuclear power plants. Each time South Carolina approached closing or limiting access to the Barnwell site – in 1986, 1992 and in 1995 - new sites were suggested in other states. But when South Carolina politicians relented and kept widespread access to Barnwell open, those controversial proposals lost momentum.
South Carolina leaders turned the tide in 2007 and resisted efforts by Energy Solutions(Chem Nuclear) to rollback the Atlantic Compact and keep Barnwell open to the nation for 15 more years. The unanimous vote by the House Agriculture Committee to resist efforts by industry lobbyists and finally close Barnwell to out-of-Compact waste beginning in July 2008 was historic. It assured that the limited space remaining at the site will be protected for the future use of South Carolina’s own nuclear industry and its Compact partners, Connecticut and New Jersey.
Although the hazardous waste site in Pinewood is now closed, concerns remain about the proximity of the site to Lake Marion and underground aquifers. Funds set aside before the site closed are only adequate for routine maintenance and do not allow for contingencies, such as leaks or the release of pollutants.
Challenges
Recently, private out-of-state companies, such as Waste Management and Allied Waste, have taken advantage of our state’s relatively cheap rural land to locate large solid waste landfills in the state. Once permitted and licensed, the Interstate Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution prevents states from banning or limiting out-of-state garbage for burial in South Carolina. Communities need to consider the long term impacts of global companies locating privately owned sites in their backyards. During the permitting process, communities should insist on all legal safeguards and require “demonstration of need” by South Carolinians before licensing the expansion of existing landfills or the construction of new landfills.
Next Steps
Resist any legislative effort to change the existing Atlantic Compact Implementation Act adopted in 2000, especially as the July 2008 deadline approaches.
Guard the funds set aside in the Barnwell Extended Care Fund.
Initiate a Legislative Audit Council review of DHEC’s enforcement record.
Pass legislation requiring a demonstration of need prior to the expansion of existing landfills or the construction of new privately owned facilities.
For more information:
Ann Timberlake, Conservation Voters of SC, 803-799-0716
Susan Corbett, Sierra Club, 803-755-6929
Fast Facts
A FOIA request in 2007 forced DHEC to reveal a map showing the location of monitoring wells and tritium test readings that confirmed the spread of a previously acknowledged tritium plume beneath the Barnwell dump.
Almost 20 wells on the Barnwell site, plus several wells up to half a mile from the site, have readings of at least 1 million picocuries per liter, 5 times the EPA drinking water standard.
Barnwell County has been paid $19.8 million for economic development between 1986 and 1998, $2 million per year since 2000 from disposal revenues plus a $12 million payment by the Atlantic Compact partners.
Brownfields are properties tainted by hazardous substances which hinder redevelopment, expansion or reuse.