COLUMBIA, South Carolina (STPNS) -- Residents in Lower Richland are upset over a new landfill being built by the SCE&G Wateree plant. Their main concern is that the landfill is just another place for the power plant to dispose of its wastes. The water that is being released from the currently- used waste ponds drains into the Wateree River. The landfill that is supposed to correct that problem will create another problem. The local residents feel they were not sufficiently informed of the changes.

These concerns have infuriated some residents to the point they have taken legal action against SCE&G.



Heath Hill, a fourth generation farmer, has filed a lawsuit against SCE&G. Hill has lived in the Lower Richland area all his life and has great concerns about what effects the landfill might mean for his land and his neighbors' land. Hill said, "I own property near the landfill. The landfill is going to be dug 30 feet in the ground, which is as deep as some wells run. Some people use that water to irrigate and to drink."

The landfill is supposed to house the same wastes now being fed into two ponds close to the SCE&G plant. These ash wastes contain such chemicals as arsenic, mercury, and gypsum.

Since the lining of both the landfill and the pond are made of clay, the chemicals could leak into the well water and into the Wateree River. For now, the only known case of contamination was in the ponds, and that problem was quickly fixed.

Currently, SCE&G is only allowed to release approximately 6.4 million gallons of water per day into the Wateree River, but they have requested permission from the Central Midlands Council of Governments (CMCOG) to increase the discharge to approximately 6.87 million gallons. Under the Clean Water Act 2008 plan, this qualifies as a minor amendment. Before being disposed in the Wateree River, the water runs through a cleaning treatment and is presumed clean before entering the river. This water is also used by local residents.

These concerns were brought up at the CMCOG meeting October 23. During the meeting, Columbia City Councilman Kirkman Finley, a Lower Richland landowner, spoke of the lack of publicity he saw concerning the SCE&G projects. He said that in late 2007 when SCE&G began holding town meetings with the residents of Lower Richland there was very little publicity. At one meeting, only one resident attended. Most of the residents didn't even know the meetings occurred.

The Wateree plant has been owned by SCE&G since 1967. SCE&G burns approximately 1,800,000 tons of coal per year, producing approximately 180,000 tons of ash per year.