Case Name: Coastal Conservation League v. South Carolina Department of Environmental Services and Williamsburg Recycling, LLC
Location: Williamsburg County
Venue: South Carolina Administrative Law Court
Issue: Challenge to Type Three Facility Composting Permit issued December 20, 2024

Case Overview

In December 2024, the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (DES) issued a Type Three Facility Composting Permit to Williamsburg Recycling, LLC, authorizing the operation of a large waste-processing facility that handles sewage sludge and other residual materials from wastewater treatment systems.

The South Carolina Environmental Law Project (SCELP), on behalf of the Coastal Conservation League (CCL), is challenging that decision in the Administrative Law Court. We contend that the permit violates the South Carolina Solid Waste Policy and Management Act and multiple state regulations governing solid waste and composting facilities.

At issue is whether DES lawfully approved a facility with a documented history of regulatory noncompliance, repeated operational problems and impacts on nearby residents and natural resources. SCELP’s goal is to ensure that facilities handling human and solid waste are held to the full legal standards designed to protect public health, water quality and rural communities.

Why This Matters

Permits for solid waste and composting facilities are not paperwork formalities; they are legal tools designed to protect people, land and water from long-term harm. When those permits govern facilities that process sewage sludge and wastewater byproducts, the stakes for surrounding communities are especially high.

Among SCELP’s central concerns is that the permit allows the facility to operate without:

• Adequate financial assurance to cover cleanup or corrective action if contamination or operational failures occur;
• Sufficient conditions to protect water quality and the surrounding environment; and
• Resolution of a documented history of noncompliance under South Carolina’s Pollution Control Act

Compounding these issues, the permit’s terms could allow for a substantial future expansion of the facility’s operational capacity without requiring additional public notice or environmental review, even as nearby residents continue to report odor, runoff and pollution concerns tied to the site’s operations.

This case tests whether South Carolina’s environmental laws function as fundamental safeguards or procedural checkboxes. If agencies can issue permits for high-impact waste facilities without enforcing financial accountability, environmental protections and compliance standards, communities will be left bearing the long-term consequences.‍

Procedural History & Timeline

December 20, 2024
DES issues a Type Three Facility Composting Permit to Williamsburg Recycling, LLC.
‍
2025 – Permit Challenge Filed
SCELP files a formal challenge to the permit on behalf of the Coastal Conservation League in Administrative Law Court.
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Summer 2025 – Discovery Dispute
DES attempts to limit discovery in the case. SCELP successfully opposes that effort, allowing full depositions of witnesses and development of the evidentiary record, including the facility’s compliance history.
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December 2025 – Summary Judgment Briefing
The Respondents file a motion for summary judgment. SCELP submits a comprehensive response opposing the motion.

‍February 3, 2026 – Hearing Scheduled
The Administrative Law Court holds a hearing on the motion for summary judgment.