Proposed landfill stumbles

Many residents of the rural Adams Run community breathed a collective sigh of relief Monday when a proposed landfill stumbled on its first step on the road to approval.

The Charleston County Planning Commission unanimously rejected a proposal by Tre Sheppard of Sheppard Construction Co. in Mount Pleasant to build a private landfill for construction waste and debris on the edge of the pristine ACE Basin in the southwestern part of the county.

County Council, the group that ultimately will make the decision on whether the landfill project can move forward, is holding a public hearing on the project Feb. 3.

To build the landfill, Sheppard needs the county to change the zoning of his 313-acre property from agricultural to a planned development district. He needs the county to amend its comprehensive land-use plan to allow a landfill business off Savannah Highway near Parkers Ferry Road.

Sheppard said that if the county approves the landfill, he would make certain it's an environmentally friendly business. Such a landfill is needed because the nearest one is 37 miles away, he said. And it will bring jobs to the rural area.

But many area residents came to the meeting to voice strong opposition to the project. Some residents said the landfill likely will leak toxins into the fragile, low-lying environment. They fear it will contaminate their wells and the Edisto River, which supplies water for Charleston County.

"This is an unlined landfill in sandy soil," said Maggie Ridge, who lives near the site. "It's not a question of if, but when, our water will be contaminated."

The only area resident who spoke positively about the project was the Rev. Charles Glover. He said he initially was opposed to the project "but some of the folks have reconsidered."

The landfill "can work if it's run properly," he said.

Margaret Rush, who is working for Sheppard to promote the project, said she's been meeting with area residents to clear up misconceptions about the landfill.

Rush, former minority outreach director for RoadWise, the county's road-building program, said many residents were opposed to the project because they thought it would hold household trash not just construction waste.

And they are afraid that if Sheppard is allowed to open a landfill, Charleston County will be more likely to open a household waste landfill on land it owns adjacent to Sheppard's property. The county purchased that land as a site for a future landfill.

"This isn't a backdoor opportunity for Charleston County to come in and open a landfill," Rush said.

Daniel Pennick, director of the county's planning department, said the property currently has resource management zoning. That means it can build a landfill there, as long as the project meets all of the state Department of Health and Environmental Control's requirements for landfills.

Tom Hutto, a Meggett Town Council member and a registered professional geologist, said the area is ill-suited for a landfill.

And, he said, the ACE Basin has a national reputation as a pristine natural area. "Let's not embarrass ourselves" by building a landfill there.

He also said he thinks the region already has sufficient landfill space for construction waste.

"We don't need a 20-story Mount Trashmore," he said.

But commissioners seemed to base their decision more on the county's comprehensive plan than on emotion.

They were reluctant to amend the plan because the county recently completed a yearlong, public process to update it. The plan was created to properly manage growth and Lowcountry resources.

"I think the application is just inappropriately timed," Commissioner Noel Thorn said. "It's just wrong to go through a comprehensive plan process then change it. We need to fully stand behind, on a unanimous basis, our comprehensive plan."

Monday's vote doesn't mean the project won't move forward as there still are several steps in the approval process.

After the vote, Sheppard said, "We're going forward."