Horry County Council approves revised Solid Waste Authority budget to advance landfill permit application amid wetland and PFAS concerns

Horry County Council voted to approve a revised budget that preserves about $300,000 for engineering and application fees for a proposed Solid Waste Authority landfill expansion after a workshop filled with public comment and technical discussion.

The vote followed a presentation from Authority staff and consultants who said the project team submitted an Army Corps of Engineers permit application in December 2025, received Corps comments and plans to respond before seeking construction and operating permits from the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services. Consultants confirmed the application seeks to impact about 102.4 acres of freshwater wetlands.

The measure (Resolution R452026) removes roughly $21 million for capital construction of the expansion from the current capital budget and leaves a smaller appropriation—about $300,000—for engineering and permitting work. Council member Dennis (speaker 10) proposed an amendment to redirect that $300,000 toward a study of a transfer station (including rail options) and to pursue moving commercial construction-and-demolition (C&D) waste out of the county; the amendment was seconded, discussed and failed on a voice vote. After that the council approved the original resolution on a voice vote.

Why it matters: Residents and environmental groups urged the council to seek alternatives and to protect wetlands, arguing local wetlands provide flood mitigation, habitat and water-quality services. Monica Whalen, a staff attorney with the South Carolina Environmental Law Project, told the council that filling "over a 100 acres of wetlands is absolutely egregious" and urged further exploration of alternatives. Deborah Buck, identified in public comments as executive director of Winger Bears Alliance, said a local PFAS study found contamination "below the landfill," and called for stronger buffers and protections for waterways. David Huggs, a local reporter, told the council he believes regional partners should share responsibility and urged state-mandated PFAS testing at treatment facilities.

Consultants and staff described the regulatory path and mitigation options. Environmental consultant Tom Baloo said restrictive covenants protecting two of the candidate sites were recorded under prior permits and that the Corps of Engineers and DES have a process to terminate or amend covenants if a significant public interest is demonstrated and replacement mitigation is provided. Baloo described mitigation banks and credits and said replacement mitigation typically involves multipliers; he confirmed the project team had proposed purchasing mitigation credits as part of the plan.

Council members pressed staff on alternatives including expanded recycling, mandatory commercial recycling, transfer by truck or rail, commingling C&D with municipal waste and waste‑to‑energy. Staff and consultants said recycling helps extend facility life but would not eliminate the need for additional capacity, that transfer out of county would increase per‑ton disposal costs substantially (rough illustrative numbers were given), and that waste‑to‑energy faces state permitting and scale limits.

Operational timeline and capacity figures given at the workshop: current C&D capacity is estimated to run out by 2029; municipal solid waste capacity by about 2051; the county plans to begin a formal solid-waste management planning process on July 1 to ensure roughly a 20‑year horizon (staff cited a planning target of about 2047). Consultants estimated permitting and design could make new capacity at least seven years away.

Council directions and follow-up: the approved budget leaves the engineering/application funds intact so staff can respond to Corps comments; council asked for regular reporting (quarterly updates were discussed) and a full update on water testing. Speakers asked staff to expand studies of alternatives—including transfer station feasibility, rail options, and commercial recycling—before committing to construction.

The council action approved the staff-requested revision to the Solid Waste Authority portion of the FY 2026–2027 budget; the workshop closed after the vote and discussion of next steps.