What factors drove governor's port deal?

"All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing."

-- Edmund Burke

In the pages of this newspaper, Nikki Haley recently criticized me for simply asking that the state Senate conduct hearings. I requested hearings into the shocking and damaging decision of her Department of Health and Environmental Control Board to reverse the agency's course and grant Georgia permission to dredge the Savannah River for the Georgia port.

I requested these hearings because the Savannah River is already a seriously damaged river with low oxygenation and other environmental problems.

I requested these hearings because DHEC's reversal came out of the blue only weeks after Haley held a fundraiser in Georgia at a law firm that does port- related work. I requested these hearings because her politically appointed DHEC Board, for no apparent reason, had just given Georgia a large head start on its harbor deepening while Charleston's harbor deepening project has been held up by the ineptitude of our elected leaders.

I requested hearings into Haley's actions and the DHEC Board's weird decision because I care about our state more than I care about the petty politics of secrecy and back-scratching that are currently being peddled in Columbia. I requested hearings because a decently competent legislature should always hold hearings into whether our government is operating appropriately.

And although I did not serve on the committee, I am extremely thankful that the leadership of the Senate was willing to hold at least a limited inquiry into what occurred. And we should all be extremely disappointed that Haley refused to appear and prohibited her staff from appearing until the Senate was forced to issue subpoenas. Destroying emails and refusing to appear at hearings does not build confidence in government.

With only limited hearings, here is just a little of what was learned. 1) On Oct. 4, prior to the DHEC reversal, Haley met with Georgia's governor. 2) Haley then personally summoned her DHEC Board chair and requested that the board hear an appeal from Georgia. 3) On Oct. 28, Haley attended a fundraiser in Georgia at a law firm that does port-related work and which was attended by people with an interest in the Georgia port. 4) Haley's chief of staff has a past working relationship with the Georgia governor's chief attorney. 5) Shortly after these meetings and the fundraiser, the DHEC Board reversed long-standing DHEC policy on the dredging.

And perhaps most shocking of all, the testimony from the DHEC Board members made it absolutely clear that they had no idea what the details of the Georgia plan were or how it would affect the Savannah river or the fragile South Carolina environment bordering the river.

Because of Haley's actions and her DHEC Board's reversal, the Savannah River will be irreparably damaged. To make up for ruining the oxygen in the river, Georgia is planning to put giant aquarium pumps into the river and blowing bubbles. Damage to nearby marshes is inevitable. Saltwater intrusion into the freshwater table is possible.

And while damaging our environment, Haley and our DHEC Board also put the Charleston port in a disadvantaged position in the race to deepen our harbor. Haley's actions and the DHEC Board's decisions will unquestionably damage our state's environment and economy. The only questions remaining are about why they did it.

The limited Senate hearings have only begun to shed light on these questions, and I hope that continued investigation and questioning by others will one day bring to light everything that has occurred. We all deserve to know, and we can no longer stand by unquestioningly as our government makes decisions that hurt our state.

Vincent Sheheen, D-Camden, represents District 27 in the S.C. Senate. He was his party's nominee for governor in the 2010 election.