The U.S. attorney's office for South Carolina has handled most high-profile environmental cases, but S.C. Attorney General Henry McMaster thinks that as the nation spends more time responding to terrorism and other international threats, the emphasis on polluters may be reduced. McMaster thinks attention directed toward counterterrorism and homeland security could reduce time spent prosecuting environmental crimes.
The attorney general has a point. South Carolina is one of the fastest-growing states in the nation. The state can't allow environmental polluters any freedom, especially in coastal areas where the environment is fragile and challenged by fast-paced growth.
South Carolina investigates environmental crimes, but unfortunately the state is limited to using conventional police procedures in its investigation. Those investigations depend on eyewitness testimony or catching offenders red-handed.
McMaster wants the state grand jury to play a significant role. The grand jury was created in 1988, eight years after Operation Jackpot, to crack down on drug and pornography rings that crossed county lines. Lawmakers have expanded the jury's authority to public corruption, terrorism and computer crimes. Environmental crimes would be a good addition to the jury's repertoire.
According to an Associated Press story, McMaster thinks a state grand jury could have helped two major investigations in the past few years. State health officials found 59 contaminants in 3,500 drums buried on a five-acre site in southern Greenville County. Some of the contaminants in high doses were suspected of causing paralysis, birth defects and brain damage.
Lawmakers should give the grand jury the broader powers, McMasters and environmentalists seek to provide strong enforcement of laws.