Environmental advocacy groups and residents are asking state officials to reconsider their decision to allow a sand, clay and topsoil mine to expand near the Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve.

The S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control on June 20 approved a mining permit for the Myrtle Beach-based company Soilutions, LLC, to expand its Edge Road Mine in Horry County.

“The staff’s decision in this case fails to protect the unique and fragile ecosystems of Lewis Ocean Bay, which provides important habitat for Venus flytraps, salamanders, and other wildlife that require specific moisture levels to survive,” the nonprofit S.C. Environmental Law Project said in a statement. “The preserve has a unique assemblage of Carolina bays and longleaf pine forests that also rely on a precise balance of moisture.”