Group takes case against proposed landfill to Columbia

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COLUMBIA — Marlboro County residents marched on the Statehouse on Wednesday to voice their opposition to a proposed landfill they’re calling a “megadump.”

Members of the group Concerned Citizens for Marlboro County said they think the landfill will hurt the environment and bring down property values. The proposed site is about 900 acres near Wallace in northern Marlboro County.

Their message was as emotionally charged as those who delivered it.

“If nothing is done now, our state of South Carolina will continue to be a trash dumping ground,” Concerned Citizens for Marlboro County president Belvin Sweatt said as he fought back tears.

The group was united with signs, T-shirts and song. They spent a few moments reciting the words of a song they composed about the proposed landfill, which includes the verse, “We are together to save our land.”

Tara Gessling, who recently purchased property in Marlboro County, was one of the activists who participated. She said the landfill would adversely affect many people and wants Wednesday’s march to be a turning point.

“I hope that it sends a message that says, ‘People, we’re tired of this. We’re not gonna stand for it anymore. It’s time for clean industry in South Carolina. Don’t bring us the trash,’” she said.

Former Bennettsville mayor Lucy Mills Parsons also spoke at the rally, and said a big part of the problem is Marlboro County’s waste management plan.

“This wouldn’t have happened if we’d of had a solid waste management plan with some forethought to prevent this,” Parsons said.

Concerned Citizens for Marlboro County members said they hoped the message of their march would not only reach lawmakers in the Statehouse, but also Gov. Mark Sanford and lawmakers in Marlboro County. They planned to meet with state Rep. Doug Jennings, D-Bennettsville, after the march.

Concerned Citizens of Marlboro County has been fighting against the proposed landfill since early fall, according to court documents.

A letter dated July 10 was sent to S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control Solid Waste Management division manager Joan Litton requesting a demonstration of need for a solid waste facility in Marlboro County on behalf of an unknown corporation. Since that time, MRR Sandhills LLC has come forward to claim that demonstration of need request as part of their pre-permitting process for the proposed landfill.

DHEC approved a demonstration of need for a solid waste facility and said the maximum allowable amount of waste permitted per year would be 1,480,000 tons.

DHEC stipulated that the approval of the document in no way bypasses the county’s zoning consistency laws previously in place.

Under DHEC guidelines, MRR had 120 days from July 10, 2007, to move forward with the permitting process or the demonstration of need approval is nullified.

In response to DHEC’s approval of MRR’s request, Marlboro County Council filed a lawsuit against DHEC asking them to revoke the approval, or at least stay the process, which would prevent MRR from moving forward in the permitting process. The lawsuit against DHEC states that DHEC “did not take into account the proximity of landfills in North Carolina...”

On Jan. 2, however, DHEC granted a request from MRR to extend the approval to May 1 in light of MRR’s “diligent effort to obtain the necessary permit.”