By Lindsay Street, Statehouse correspondent | At least three state lawmakers say the state needs to crackdown on problematic private recyclers after two have cost taxpayers $7.8 million in the last year.
S.C. Rep. Sylleste Davis of Moncks Corner, and S.C. Sens. Tom Davis of Beaufort and Larry Grooms of Goose Creek, all Republicans, have questioned whether the state’s environmental agency is doing enough to stop recyclers before they become a problem that needs millions of public money. They are also looking at potential further regulation.
“We have things in place that fell through the cracks. There needs to be stronger enforcement. There needs to be additional checks on these recycling facilities,” Grooms said this week.
Viva Recycling near Moncks Corner cost $3.3 million and was cleaned up earlier this year. Able Recycling in Okatie is projected to cost $4.5 million and cleanup is slated over the coming months. The two are separate types of recyclers and are treated differently under S.C. law.
- Read a full DHEC summary of the Viva cleanup efforts here.
- Read a full summary of Able Contracting’s dealings with DHEC here.
After a Statehouse Report request on whether there are other private sites that have received taxpayer money to cleanup, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) did not offer a list prior to deadline. The agency released this statement on how it has responded to staving off costly problems:
“When a responsible party is unable or unwilling to remediate imminent and substantial threat to public health or the environment, DHEC may take responsive actions to mitigate the threat through the use of public funds. DHEC pursues legal action to hold responsible parties accountable, including cost recovery. DHEC regularly reviews its regulations and statutes to identify options for improving the agency’s authority to protect public health and the environment.”
The agency is seeking to recover $1.6 million from the Viva site. The money used to clean the site was funded through the state’s $2 tire fee.
Sen. Davis said a 2018 update to the state’s Hazardous Waste Management Act should help with sites like Able Contracting. Now, he wants DHEC to do its job.
Grooms agreed: DHEC is “not doing the job they’re supposed to do.”
Rep. Davis said she is trying to make changes to the state’s tire recycling program a priority in 2020 for House leadership. She filed H. 4504 April 30. The bill is in the Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs committee.
“It gives DHEC more ability to stop something like (Viva) before it gets out of hand,” Davis said. “We have a larger problem but the problem I was trying to address is waste tires.”
In other S.C. news:
Education funding to be discussed Sept. 16. The state’s Board of Economic Advisors will meet 1:30 p.m. Sept. 16 in room 417 of the Rembert Dennis building at the Statehouse in Columbia. The meeting will include an update on the education funding model in the state, which is being studied by the Revenue and Fiscal Affairs Office at the direction of the state legislature. See the agenda here.
Two Democrats propose paying college athletes. S.C. Sen. Marlon Kimpson, D-Charleston, and Rep. Justin Bamberg, D-Bamberg, said they want to follow California’s lead on becoming the second state in the nation to allow college athletes to profit from their fame by earning endorsement money. Read more.
Cunningham, Duncan differ on energy plans. S.C. congressmen on opposite sides of the aisle have proposed competing energy plans over offshore drilling in the U.S. House. U.S. Rep. Joe Cunningham, a Democrat of the Lowcountry, proposed a bill that would ban drilling offshore in the Atlantic and Pacific oceans. The bill passed on a 238-189 vote; it now heads to the U.S. Senate where it is not expected to get enough votes to pass into law. U.S. Rep. Jeff Duncan, a Republican of the Upstate, has also proposed a bill Sept. 11 that will allow states to decide whether to allow offshore drilling. No vote has been made on Duncan’s bill.
Lydon nominated for U.S. District judgeship. U.S. Attorney Sherri Lydon of South Carolina has been nominated by President Donald Trump for a seat on the U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina. She has served as U.S. Attorney in the state since 2018 after she was nominated by Trump and confirmed by the U.S. Senate.
S.C. households to get $50 refund soon. The legislature-approved one-time $50 rebate per income tax return will be mailed out Dec. 2. Read more.
Climate ‘strike’ set in S.C. cities. At least two Climate Strike events are slated in South Carolina Sept. 20 to coincide with a worldwide event promoting climate change policies. Columbia will hold a strike at 9:30 a.m. Sept. 20 at 1100 Gervais St. and Greenville will hold a strike at noon Sept. 20 at Greenville City Hall. The strike coincides with strikes in other cities, three days before the United Nations’ Climate Summit in New York City. More info.
2020 candidate calendar
Throughout the campaign season, we are working to keep South Carolina informed of candidate events in the state. Have an event you want us to know about? Email us at 2020news@statehousereport.com.
Galivants Ferry Stump on Monday. At least six Democratic presidential candidates will speak Sept. 16 at a special presidential edition of the Galivants Ferry Stump meeting. Among those who have confirmed they will attend are former Vice President Joe Biden, New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, South Bend Mayor Pete Buttigieg, U.S. Rep. Tulsi Gabbard of Hawaii, U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota and U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders of Vermont. The event starts at 5 p.m. and will be moderated by U.S. Rep. Jim Clyburn, D-S.C.
Castro celebrates Hispanic heritage Sept. 15. Former U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Secretary and Democratic presidential hopeful Julián Castro will be in South Carolina Sept. 15 for the following events: 11:45 a.m. for Hispanic Heritage Month kickoff at International Dance Academy in Greenville; 3:40 p.m. at a University of South Carolina Presidential Town Hall at Russell House Student Union in Columbia; and 4:45 p.m. for Mexican Independence Day Celebration at Cabanas Restaurant in Columbia.
Buttigieg returns to S.C. Sept. 16-17. South Bend, Ind., Mayor Pete Buttigieg will be at the following events for a two-day sweep:
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- Sept. 16: 7:15 a.m. at a Greenville Chamber of Commerce breakfast at the Crowne Plaza in Greenville; 9:30 a.m. at a town hall at Wofford College in Spartanburg; noon at Krispy Kreme with S.C. Sen. Glenn Reese in Spartanburg; 1 p.m. at a field office opening in Columbia; and 2 p.m. at Democratic Black Caucus Neighborhood Drop-in at The Hill in Hopkins.
- Sept. 17: 8 a.m. speech in Conway; 10 a.m. field office opening in Florence; noon Supermajority Roundtable at North Columbia Business Association in Columbia; and 1:30 p.m. town hall at the University of South Carolina in Columbia.
De Blasio to visit Sept. 14-16. New York Mayor Bill de Blasio will be in South Carolina for the following events:
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- Sept. 14: 1:45 p.m. meet and greet at Brown’s BBQ in Kingstree; and 4:30 p.m. meet and greet at Victory Tabernacle Church in Orangeburg.
- Sept. 15: 4:45 p.m. town hall at the University of South Carolina in Columbia.
- Sept. 16: 1:30 p.m. meet and greet at Antonio’s Restaurant in Andrews.
Sanders to speak Sept. 15 at College of Charleston. Vermont Independent Sen. Bernie Sanders will speak at 6 p.m. at the College of Charleston’s Bully Pulpit series at the Johnson Center Gymnasium in Charleston. The event is free and open to the public.
Klobuchar to speak Sept. 16 at College of Charleston. Minnesota Democratic Sen. Amy Blobuchar will speak 10 a.m. at College of Charleston’s Bully Pulpit series at the Stern Center Garden in Charleston. The event is free and open to the public.
Blue Jamboree. Thousands are expected to attend the all-day Oct. 5 Blue Jamboree held by the Charleston County Democratic Party at The Bend, 3775 Azalea Drive, in North Charleston. Sponsors of the event include these presidential candidates: Biden, Buttigieg, Gabbard and Sanders, as well as Kamala Harris, Elizabeth Warren, Tom Steyer, Cory Booker, Andrew Yang, Michael Bennet and Julian Castro. Tickets are $20 now.
We Can Do Better, South Carolina!
Some investigator should compile a list of the many and various contamination sites that DHEC had some role in overseeing while under an operating permit that later became taxpayer (federal or state) liabilities in eventual “clean up.”
The Pinewood dump alone is huge, but there are a number of others, active and in the past.