There's a proposal on the table to build a landfill in Columbus County. Test your knowledge with this week's quiz. Spring is bustin' out all over and people are sharing their thoughts and opinions on a variety of subjects near and dear to the hearts of Lumber River readers. Those against the proposed 760-acre regional landfill in Columbus County will get a chance to let their commissioners know about it later this month. The county board heard from some residents last week during a public hearing on a proposed amendment to the county's franchise agreement with a company planning to construct a regional landfill in eastern Columbus County near Green Swamp.
Supporters say the landfill is needed because current landfill space is running out.
They argue it will be much more costly to the county in the long run if it has to pay to ship its waste to other landfills in North or South Carolina. They also argue that hosting a regional landfill means that other counties and municipalities will ship their waste to Columbus County, and pay the county handsomely for the privilege. The extra money, they say, will help supplant county coffers and help keep the tax rate down. Opposition to the plan has only recently surfaced, even though commissioners gave formal approval to the landfill more than a year ago. Opponents say the company, Riegel Ridge, is exploiting the economic angle.