Opposition to mega dump bringing Carolinas together

A proposed landfill continues to bring people in Marlboro County together.

Wednesday night that opposition crossed the state line to Hamlet, North Carolina where the proposed landfill’s entrance would be located.

The proposed mega dump site sits right on the North and South Carolina border.

Both states came together with equal opposition and an equal amount of fear for what may come.

Pam Dillman said this wasn’t the first rally she’s led.

“18 years ago we fought the low level dump here, and I was part of that and then we fought it again three years ago,“ Pamela N. Dillman, Richmond County Commissioner, said.

Three years later she was back fighting on Osborne Road, this time to keep a mega dump out that would stretch from Hamlet, North Carolina into Marlboro County.

Latonya McCollum’s yard is one on many in Marlboro County along Highway 38 adorned with the sign saying “no mega dump.“

“It just seems like we’re a dumping ground for everyone else’s trash and that’s what a waste dump is and we don’t want it. We have enough problems we’re trying to deal with now,“ Latonya McCollum, Marlboro County resident, said.

In June Marlboro County voters voted unanimously against the proposed landfill, but the vote was non-binding.

“When you have a 90% rate saying they don’t want it, it should have been settled,“ McCollum said.

Now two months later citizens are still letting their voices be heard both from South and North Carolina.

“This is just treachery I guess you can say that. I just can’t believe South Carolina thought they could throw the dump in North Carolina with out us saying a word,“ Dillman said.

However residents also said in some ways it’s also bringing the Carolinas together, but they wish it was for a better cause.

Representatives from Waste Management, the developer of the proposed dump, were not present at Wednesday night’s meeting.

DHEC representatives said are no updates for the dump site.