SCE&G has plans to build a coal ash dump in Colleton County. This is extremely bad for everyone. Regulations for this type of landfill are lacking to say the least while coal ash contains several toxic ingredients such as arsenic. SCE&G has already stated there are no guarantees the toxic waste will not leak out and the water table in the area is only 5 or 6 feet. There are two rivers, the Edisto and Ashepoo, in the immediate area. If this landfill leaks, it will end up in those rivers and have a devastating effect on the wildlife. 
        I live just across the road from the proposed site and I know my drinking water will no longer be safe and now I'm worried the property value will go down to the point no one would buy it, should I be forced to move. This won't just affect me, it will affect everyone in the lowcountry. There will be a public hearing thursday january 27. I don't know what time and where just yet but I will post it as soon as I find out. Everyone who can make it needs to turn out and voice your concern to the zoning board.

Update 2/28 - The measure has failed and now SCE&G will have 30 days to appeal it in court.

What's the location Garnet.  As a person who has permitted landfills in the past, I can tell you that the Colleton County Council will have to approve the landfill and approve it as part of it's Solid Waste Management Plan.  Your best route is to first start the grass roots movement with your county residents and then get some green groups involved.  You can find them on line.  You can kill it on a local level if you can get your council to vote it down, but you have to move quickly, because I assure you their lobbyist are already at work. 

Send me an IM and I will try and see what I can do to help you.  You also need to talk to your local legislative delegation.  They can put pressure on.  Also take a look at how many minorities live in the area.  There is an Environmental Racism route you can take to really get some traction.

For all you extreme right wing Republicans out there, this is great news. More Arsenic in my drinking water is never a bad thing, is it??

MoncksCornerCock wrote: For all you extreme right wing Republicans out there, this is great news. More Arsenic in my drinking water is never a bad thing, is it??

Sounds like the invisible hand of the free market is hard at work? That hand seems to keep smacking people around...

Seriously, garnet - best of luck with this one. It's an uphill battle, but it can be won. Or at least someone else can lose. I would highly recommend putting together a website with all of the relevant information, and make sure it can be updated easily. Be as clear and concise as possible, and make sure the website has an easy to remember name. You need something to print at the bottom of flyers, etc. Maybe SaveColleton.com? If you are careful you can probably put one up for a few bucks/month. Let me know if you need any assistance with this.

Zero, I appreciate the suggestions and if I had time for that I would, but SCE&G is moving fast. The EPA is changing the regulations on coal ash and SCE&G is trying to get this done before the tougher regulations take effect. They just bought the land a month ago and I didn't even know about this until a few days ago when they put up the signs. Some of my neighbors and I have started a grass roots movement, but the vote by the zoning board is this thursday. That doesn't give us much time. We had a meeting this past tuesday and had state representative Bill Bowers along with some county council members in attendence. About 300 people showed up. Its now up to the zoning board to vote on it. Even if the vote it down though I'm sure SCE&G will take their case to the circuit court.

Get with Rep Nelson Hardwick - chair of the Ag Committee in the State House and Sen. Harvey Peeler - Chair of the Senate Committee that handles those issues.  They have the most influence at DHEC, which is the agency that will have to grant the permit.  The EPA will have little to say in this matter.  Senator Verdin of Laurens just introduced a bill that would require groundwater and hydrology studies before site approval, which would show you which way the underground aquifer flows and the risks to your water supply.  Go to this link http://www.sc.gov/government/Pages/BRANCHES.aspx and look up all your legislators for the area and spread the phone numbers out to all the people in your group so they can see just how many votes they could lose if the project goes forward.  Do the same for the county council members.  Someties that will be all it will take.  However, let me assure you that not even SCE&G will get that project of the ground in less than 3-5 years.  And whatever regs are in place at the time the permit is granted will be the regulations they will have to follow.  This will be purely a State of SC decision made by DHEC.

Danny Verdin is still a Senator, eh? Grew up with him.

You should really speak with the grassroots non-profit organizations already in place (Coastal Conservation league, Sierra Club, Ducks unlimited, etc.) They all have much more pull than you could probably imagine.

Also, contact the SEL to make sure they're aware of it. Currently they're addressing the issue up on the Wateree from that Coal Ash spill recently

www.southernenvironment.org/ca...al_waste_spill/

MoncksCornerCock wrote: For all you extreme right wing Republicans out there, this is great news. More Arsenic in my drinking water is never a bad thing, is it??

Never!

BigSExyatUSC wrote: You should really speak with the grassroots non-profit organizations already in place (Coastal Conservation league, Sierra Club, Ducks unlimited, etc.) They all have much more pull than you could probably imagine.

Also, contact the SEL to make sure they're aware of it. Currently they're addressing the issue up on the Wateree from that Coal Ash spill recently

www.southernenvironment.org/ca...al_waste_spill/

Coastal Conservation league is on board already. I think there are a few others as well.

Mynok wrote:
Danny Verdin is still a Senator, eh? Grew up with him.

He is. And has quietly ammassed a very respectable amount of influence in Columbia. He is the Chairman of The Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, which can have a lot to say in this issue.

This great news. The market is being allowed to operate uninterupted by silly regulations. Stock will go up for Scana. The people in the area can just get over it. Business must be protected at all costs, public safety be damned. Good for the corporations. Now if we can just shut down the EPA and DHEC, we can see some real corporate progress.

Aftrer reading the above "facts" it strikes me that there may be another side to this story.....otherwise there would be rioting in the street... sounds like a liberal slant on a subject that few are aware of...

anthair wrote: Aftrer reading the above "facts" it strikes me that there may be another side to this story.....otherwise there would be rioting in the street... sounds like a liberal slant on a subject that few are aware of...

Liberal slant my ass! I'm as staunch a conservative as you can find and unlike like some who just run their mouths I actually know what I'm talking about on this issue. The above stated meeting had hundreds show up to voice their concern only to be turned away because their wasn't enough room in the building. Unfortunately for us country folk, we don't know how to properly riot and protest and quite frankly I'm glad we don't have a bunch of nut job liberals showing up. They would be more of a nuissance than help.

The other "side" to the story is SCE&G got the land at a cheap price and it's within 10 miles from their plant. They stand to save a lot of money by dumping it on me and my neighbors. End of story!