Senator Grooms expects lawsuit to be filed to stop DHEC permit for Savannah River dredging. Grooms says there are a couple of things that could be part of a suit.
South Carolina’s Department of Health and Environmental Control staff had denied approval for a permit to deepen the Savannah River for port access. Then Gov. Nikki Haley called the chairman of the DHEC board and asked them to re-consider. They did, and the board voted to approve the permit.
State Senator Larry Grooms says, “The Savannah River will be impaired if you dredge it to the depth that they would like to go.” Grooms is Chairman of the South Carolina Senate Transportation Committee, and a member of the Savannah River Maritime Commission. He believes State Attorney General Alan Wilson will file a lawsuit on behalf of the commission soon. Grooms tells News 2, “It is our contention that the DHEC permit was issued in violation of South Carolina Law.”
Grooms says the commission was specifically created by legislators to help make decisions for the state related to the Savannah River. The fact that DHEC is making the decision for the commission could be the target of one lawsuit, but there could also be another. Grooms says DHEC officials initially denied the permit due to environmental concerns, ”We contend that there were serious environmental issues that were not addresses in Georgia’s application. Particularly those related to the depletion of oxygen in the river.”
The lawsuits have to be filed within 30 days of the recent permit decision by DHEC, so any legal action will be filed in the next 2-3 weeks.
Email
Facebook
Google
Twitter
Favorites
More
Advertisement