Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Environment Public Health topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Councilman urges federal help over long‑running groundwater contamination linked to Shaw AFB
Summary
Councilman Carlton B. Washington told Sumter County Council that residents described illnesses they believe are linked to decades‑old groundwater contamination from Shaw AFB and called for meetings with the congressional delegation; no formal action or agency representatives were present to respond at the meeting.
At the May 23 Sumter County Council meeting, Councilman Carlton B. Washington reported on a community meeting with Shaw Air Force Base staff about groundwater contamination residents say dates back decades and described a range of health concerns.
Washington told council that community members who attended reported illnesses they associated with the contamination, including cancer and lupus, and said base staff told attendees that remediation costs would be substantial. Washington urged the council to engage Sumter’s congressional delegation (he named Graham, Scott, Norman and Clyburn) to seek federal involvement and funding. Chairman James T. McCain, Jr. said materials formerly used to distinguish fuel fires had been found to have migrated into the aquifer and into groundwater flow.
No representatives from Shaw AFB spoke at the county meeting, and council did not take formal action at the session beyond discussing next steps and a suggestion to coordinate with federal representatives. Washington also noted local energy among residents at the Shaw meeting and encouraged further engagement between council, residents and federal officials to address potential remediation needs.
What happens next: Council members indicated the matter may warrant further outreach to the congressional delegation and continued local engagement; no timeline or formal referral was set during the meeting.
