LEE COUNTY, SC (WIS) -
Tons of radioactive waste could be on its way to Lee County's landfill. DHEC and landfill officials were working on plans to allow a 300 rail car shipment of radioactive dirt to be dumped.
The DHEC board said no, but the company that owns the waste has appealed that decision.
Every day, waste from all over the state and country rolls into the Lee County landfill. It's only supposed to be household waste, yard debris, and tires, but DHEC records show Allied Waste was looking to expand their business plan to include radioactive dirt.
Last fall, a letter from DHEC gave approval for the Lee County landfill to receive the material. Then in March, DHEC officials changed their minds, saying the landfill wasn't approved to accept toxic waste. And DHEC refused the company's appeal to send their waste to South Carolina.
"I want to provide a safe and healthy crop and that's what I try to do," said Lee County farmer Steve Beasley.
Beasley has investigated the landfill's practices for years.
"It's not sitting with me worth a darn," Beasley said.
In 1990, the landfill and county were supposed to form a citizen's committee where county and landfill officials would meet with the public to discuss plans like this. One letter from Lee County shows there's never even been a meeting in 22 years.
"Those meetings have never taken place and that was in the original contract and each time that contract has been amended, that has been included in it," Beasley said.
Even Lee County leaders got blind sided by the plans to ship radioactive waste into their back yard.
"No one had contacted local officials regarding this issue at all," said Lee County Manager Alan Watkins.
Watkins says the county has no power to stop the shipment, but will fight it if they have to.
"This seems to myself and a number of council members to be getting outside of what the intent of the landfill was," Watkins said.
The last communication between DHEC and the landfill was one month ago when DHEC notified the landfill it would take a major permit modification in order to get the radioactive dirt.
However, for this to ever happen, the appeals court would have to overturn DHEC's decision to not allow the waste in.
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