A proposed landfill expansion in Horry County would fill more than 100 acres of wetlands, raising serious concerns about water quality, flooding and long-term environmental harm.

The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (DES) and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) are accepting comments before January 19, and members of the public have the right to request a formal public hearing before decisions are made.

The proposed expansion would:

• Allow 102.4 acres of wetland fill, eliminating natural filtration systems and protective buffers;
• Impact Steritt Swamp, an ecologically important habitat corridor connecting the Lewis Ocean Bay Heritage Preserve and wetlands along the Waccamaw River;
• Increase the risk of groundwater contamination, as landfill sites in wetlands and floodplains have a higher rate of contaminant leaching; and
• Exacerbate water quality issues from increased stormwater runoff and flooding.

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Wetlands play a critical role in protecting downstream water quality. Once filled or degraded, these functions are extremely difficult – if not impossible – to fully restore. Two of the three expansion sites contain wetlands currently protected under a restrictive covenant.

DES and the USACE especially needs to hear from:

• People who live near the site;
• Those who recreate, fish, hunt or paddle in nearby waterways; and
• Community members who are concerned about flooding, drinking water or habitat loss.

TALKING POINTS

Comments should focus on how the proposed expansion would affect water quality, wetlands, flooding and the uses these waters are meant to support. In your comment, you may wish to:

• Ask DES to hold a public hearing to thoroughly examine the project’s potential impacts on water quality and nearby rivers, wetlands and swamps;
• Demand that the USACE does not amend the restrictive covenants protecting wetlands;
• Raise concerns about wetland loss, runoff and downstream impacts;
• Explain how these impacts could harm fishing, wildlife habitat, recreation or other ways people and nature rely on these waters; and/or;
• Urge these agencies to consider alternatives, such as greater investment in construction and demolition debris recycling, a goal already identified in Horry County’s Solid Waste Management Plan, or exploring expansion options in areas that are less environmentally sensitive.

TAKE ACTION BY JANUARY 19
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Public input plays a critical role in how these agencies evaluate projects like this. Speaking up now helps ensure that decisions affecting wetlands and waterways are made transparently and in the public interest.

📧 Email DES to request a public hearing: wqcwetlands@des.sc.gov

📧 Email the USACE to urge them to uphold the restrictive covenants: wiley.c.bracey@usace.army.mil

‍📝 Reference the permit application number in your message: SAC-2025-00032