Bill might seal fate of landfill proposal

ROBERT W. DALTON, Staff Writer

COLUMBIA -- A bill that would kill Waste Management Inc.'s plans to build a regional landfill near Enoree is headed to the state Senate floor after receiving approval from the Medical Affairs Committee Wednesday morning.

The bill would eliminate the so-called "grandfather clause," which permits companies currently operating a landfill in the state to replace the existing facility once it is filled to capacity. Waste Management operates the Palmetto Landfill near Wellford.

The committee voted 6-5 to send the bill to the full Senate.

The bill originated in the House and initially sought to limit the amount of trash the proposed landfill could receive from outside Spartanburg County. The House approved the bill, but concerns over

its constitutionality led the Senate committee to change its focus to go after the grandfather clause.

Sen. John Hawkins, R-Spartanburg, told the committee that the bill would prevent the growth of landfill "clusters." The proposed landfill would be about eight miles from a Republic Services regional landfill in Union County and about 20 miles from the Spartanburg County-operated landfill near Wellford.

Hawkins said that Spartanburg County Council members had caved to the lure of Waste Management money in agreeing to negotiate on a new landfill. The company initially offered to pay the county about $60 million over 20 years, and Councilmen David Britt, Ken Huckaby, Frank Nutt and Steve Parker voted to enter negotiations with the company.

"You are our only hope to stop this, and I'm pleading with you for your help," Hawkins told the committee.

Sen. Brad Hutto, D-Orangeburg, said the bill would have a "profound" impact on all counties across the state.

"It would have a domino effect as more landfills close," Hutto said. He said it would increase the costs of shipping trash to available landfills, and that those costs would be borne by the taxpayers.

Sen. Danny Verdin, R-Laurens, agreed that the costs would go up, but that the issue is about more than money.

"We're going to have to face up to the fact that we're going to have to pay more to maintain a quality of life," he said.

Waste Management spokesman David Pepper said it was easy for Verdin to make those comments, but that residential, commercial and industrial customers would be the ones who would have to meet those costs.

Pepper said that if the bill passes, five landfills -- Palmetto, Union, two in Richland County and one in Dorchester County -- would close in short order and would not be replaced. With those gone, there would be a higher demand at the remaining landfills -- and thus higher prices.

"For Richland County, the combined costs for residential, commercial and industrial customers would increase by more than $6 million," Pepper said.

Sen. Linda Short, D-Chester, attempted to derail the bill and have it sent back to a subcommittee for more work.

To prevent "clustering," Short raised the idea of having counties form compacts to deal with solid waste. Whenever a landfill reached its capacity and was closed, a new one could be opened in another county within the compact to keep one county from always bearing the burden, she said.

That prompted an angry response from Hawkins.

"I'll make you an offer, Sen. Short," he said. "We'll be glad to let you have this one in Chester."

The 6-5 vote could mean that the bill will have a difficult time once it reaches the Senate floor.

"It's a statewide issue," Hawkins said. "We've got our work cut out for us."

Robert W. Dalton can be reached at 562-7274 or bob.dalton@shj.com.