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Orangeburg County amends waste-tire policy, shifting collection and restricting hauler drops when alternate sites available
Summary
County attorneys explained interim changes to align local ordinance with 2025 state law: discontinuing tire collection at convenience sites (moving acceptance to the landfill) and refusing tires from haulers/dealers when a compliant alternate site exists within about 30 miles; council approved second reading.
Orangeburg County Council approved second reading on an interim amendment to the countys waste-tire policy on Sept. 2 that will change where and how the county accepts waste tires.
The county attorney and staff explained the change as an alignment with recent state statutory amendments and as an administrative step while county staff continue to seek clearer guidance from state agencies. Under the interim policy approved by the council, the county will no longer accept waste tires at convenience sites; instead, tires will be accepted at the landfill. The ordinance also directs county staff to decline waste-tire deliveries from tire haulers, tire retailers or automobile dismantlers when a legally compliant alternate facility is available within approximately 30 miles (county staff said the 30-mile figure was their working assumption for county policy).
The attorney explained the changes were prompted in part by enforcement concerns and by the volume of tires being delivered to convenience sites that were intended for small-quantity residential drop-offs. "We were having thousands of tires delivered quarterly to the convenience sites by individuals," the attorney said, and moving the acceptance point to the landfill may reduce noncompliant deliveries and make enforcement of resident-only rules easier. The attorney also noted county staff are coordinating with state agencies to clarify compliance categories for tires already stored at the landfill.
Council approved second reading of the amendment by voice vote after the attorneys explanation. County staff said they are continuing to study the legislation for a final ordinance and will revisit the policy once state guidance is clarified or an alternative regional facility opens.
Next steps: staff will continue work with state officials and monitor the opening of a proposed regional facility in Calhoun County; the county indicated that if an alternate compliant site opens regionally, the county would direct commercial haulers to that facility rather than accept loads at the county landfill.
