Council tables final reading of landfill

By David Green
The Weekly Observer Editor
Published: October 2, 2008

Williamsburg County Council tabled third and final reading on a proposed landfill Thursday night in Kingstree after a public hearing in which residents pleaded with council not to enter into an agreement to develop the landfill.

The hearing was attended by about 200 people, nearly all opposed to the landfill as proposed. Most waited after the long hearing to see how the vote turned out.

The proposal would open a landfill that would accept municipal solid waste from outside the county, making it one of the largest landfills in the state.

During the council meeting, Supervisor Stanley Pasley requested an executive session to consider an amendment to the contract.

The Weekly Observer objected to the session, as no amendment was on the agenda. The council recessed for the executive session, except for council members Franklin Fullmore and Harry “BoBo” Huggins, who stayed in the auditorium. No amendment was mentioned after the open session continued; rather, there was a vote to table third and final reading of the landfill proposal.

“We can look at it two different ways,” Rhonda Daniels said after the reading was tabled. “It could be a good thing that they have heard all the information we presented and will develop a better plan. Or it could be that they are just trying to wait us out and take another vote when we aren’t looking. We know we have to have another dump to replace the Salters dump, but we just don’t want a megadump that takes other people’s waste.”

The council voted 4-3 to table the third reading pending further study. Opposed to the tabling motion were Harry “BoBo” Huggins, W. B. Wilson and Andy McKnight.  Wilson, who represents the Nesmith area, said he opposed the motion because, “We needed to take a vote and settle this.”

The plan was disclosed Aug. 26 to the county council and the public by MRR Williamsburg, which had contracted for the site selection of the project. The company had narrowed possible locations to three sites, one at Hebron, one at Greeleyville and one at Nesmith, with the company recommending Nesmith as the best of the three. Council previously held first and second readings on a contract for development of the Nesmith site with MRR.

At the Aug. 26 presentation, Pasley said the public/private cooperative agreement would mean the county would own the landfill, but the company would operate it at no cost to the county. He indicated the landfill would produce revenue instead.

Ron Gilkerson of MRR Southern said the company would generate its income from tipping fees, some of which could come from other coastal counties. At that time, he said the company did not plan to be receiving waste from distant sites — a statement disputed by the total tonnage of waste that is proposed.

Residents point out that the proposed landfill is expected to input 1.8 million tons of municipal solid waste each year, while Williamsburg County produces less than 18,000 tons.