Several South Carolina Supreme Court justices on Tuesday questioned whether a landfill operator in Pickens County sought to install a liner on a new landfill to ultimately accept coal ash.

The long-lasting legal battle over the unused site of more than 400 acres along State 93 and Cartee Road near Liberty could determine the fate of the would-be landfill, which Raleigh, N.C.-based MMR Pickens LLC has previously said could generate $25 million over its lifetime.

The five justices heard from lawyers for about an hour Tuesday and did not announce any decisions during the hearing.