Planning commission recommends denying Westinghouse rezoning after residents raise environmental and cultural concerns

The Richland County Planning Commission voted to recommend denial of a rezoning request from Westinghouse that would have changed about 52.71 acres at 5801 Bluff Road from AG (agricultural) to HI (heavy industrial).

County planning staff told commissioners that the property’s future‑land‑use designation is “conservation” under the county comprehensive plan and that the uses permitted in the HI district would not support the plan’s recommendations. Staff recommended disapproval for that reason.

The case drew about two dozen people to the podium. Christopher Knight, who identified himself as representing Westinghouse, said the company wanted the additional acreage to expand manufacturing and to pursue a newer, lower‑emission production process. "We are asking for the additional 53 acres…to go to LEU Plus fuel technology," Knight said during his two‑minute presentation, explaining the company expects the expansion to support more efficient production cycles and to reduce on‑site emissions.

Westinghouse environmental staff also addressed the commission. Nancy Parr, the company’s environmental protection manager, said the company had increased community outreach and planned public information drop‑ins in January.

Community speakers urged the commission to follow staff’s recommendation and deny the rezoning. Speakers included longtime Hopkins and Lower Richland residents, environmental advocates and local historians. Concerns raised at the podium focused on past environmental incidents at the Bluff Road site, groundwater contamination under a DHEC/Department of Environmental Services consent agreement, and the site’s proximity to Congaree National Park and other conservation lands. Several speakers described the site’s cultural and historic connections to maroon and Black‑settled landscapes and noted an on‑site cemetery.

Pamela Greenlaw and Elaine Cooper cited state and federal reports and letters — including referenced concerns raised by the U.S. Department of the Interior, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and EPA — about past incidents at the plant and ongoing remediation timelines. John Grego, president of Friends of Congaree Swamp, said portions of the area proposed for rezoning lie within known groundwater plumes that are the subject of an ongoing remedial investigation under the state consent agreement.

Commission discussion focused on the comprehensive plan designation and whether the property’s existing industrial neighbors (including the Westinghouse complex) justified a map amendment. Commissioners noted the item had been deferred at the prior month’s meeting to allow more public engagement; after hearing more public comment tonight, a motion for disapproval was offered and seconded.

The commission’s motion for disapproval of case 24‑042 MA carried; planning staff will transmit the recommendation to County Council. The Planning Commission indicated the zoning public hearing at County Council is scheduled for December 17, 2024, at 7 p.m. in Council Chambers.

Why it matters: The property sits near sensitive conservation lands and watersheds that local speakers said warrant stricter land‑use protection. Planning staff cited the county comprehensive plan’s conservation designation in recommending disapproval.

Votes and next steps: The commission voted to recommend disapproval of case 24‑042 MA; staff will forward the record to County Council for its public hearing and final decision.

Community follow‑up: Several speakers asked county staff and the applicant to hold community drop‑ins and to provide documentation on past remediation and monitoring; Westinghouse said it plans public information sessions in January.