ISLE OF PALMS, SC – The legal fight over an illegally constructed seawall on Isle of Palms is moving to the South Carolina Court of Appeals after all parties filed notices of appeal this week.

The South Carolina Environmental Law Project (SCELP), on behalf of the Coastal Conservation League (CCL), filed its appeal today, following an appeal filed yesterday by property owner Rom Reddy. The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (DES) also filed its own appeal today.

The appeals follow a December 30, 2025, Amended Final Order from Administrative Law Judge Ralph King Anderson III, which reaffirmed that Reddy’s seawall violates state coastal protection law and must be removed. While the order imposed a detailed timeline and corrective action requirements for dismantling the structure and restoring the beach, it declined to reinstate the $289,000 civil penalty originally assessed by DES.

Rom Reddy has also filed a motion to stay the effectiveness of Judge Anderson’s order, which means that if he succeeds, the wall will not have to be removed until the Court of Appeals rules on the appeals.  CCL and DES are opposed to the stay.

SCELP intervened in the contested case brought by Rom Reddy in the ALC on behalf of CCL, arguing that the seawall is an illegal hard erosion control structure that blocks public beach access and accelerates erosion. A five-day trial was held in the spring of 2025.

The case is now transferred to the Court of Appeals, where the parties seek review of both the legality of the seawall and the scope of the remedies ordered by the Administrative Law Court.

“The Administrative Law Court correctly concluded that this seawall must be removed due to its harm to the beach and the public interest,” said SCELP Senior Attorney Leslie Lenhardt. “Our appeal is focused on ensuring that the full legal framework and evidentiary record supporting that outcome are accurately and completely addressed on review, including the Coastal Tidelands and Wetlands Act’s protections for natural beach dynamics and the enforcement authority the law provides, so that the full range of remedies necessary to protect South Carolina’s coast is preserved.”

Lori Cary-Kothera, Chief Conservation Officer at the Coastal Conservation League agrees on the importance of appeal.  “Illegal seawalls offer an illusion of protection while guaranteeing long-term destruction. They harden one slice of shoreline at the cost of the living, dynamic beach system that actually provides natural storm protection. Enforcement of the beach regulations is critical." 

The dispute centers on South Carolina’s Coastal Tidelands and Wetlands Act and its Beachfront Management Act, which bans new seawalls to protect public access, natural beach dynamics, and coastal ecosystems. The ALC’s order cited to the Act’s provisions protecting public access in ordering the wall should be removed.

As rising sea levels and increasingly intense storms continue to reshape South Carolina’s coast, the outcome of this appeal is expected to carry significant implications for how the state enforces its coastal protection laws.

SCELP and the Coastal Conservation League will continue to defend the public’s right to healthy, accessible beaches and advocate for strong, lawful enforcement of South Carolina’s environmental protections as the case proceeds.

###

Media Contacts:

Amy Armstrong, Executive Director 
South Carolina Environmental Law Project 
amy@scelp.org

Faith Rivers James, Executive Director 
Coastal Conservation League
frjames@scccl.org