COLUMBIA – Winnsboro Crushed Stone, LLC, the company with designs on quarrying granite at a proposed stone crushing plant off Rockton Thruway in Winnsboro cleared one more hurdle this week. On Tuesday afternoon, the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) said they had approved the company’s air construction permit.
While local citizens raised numerous concerns about air quality and dust control at the proposed plant at a Nov. 20 public hearing, DHEC said Tuesday that those concerns “do not legally prevent issuance of the permit.”
“Additionally,” DHEC said, “because Winnsboro Crushed Stone, LLC has demonstrated that it can comply with state and federal air quality regulations, DHEC is required by law to issue the requested permit.”
Air Permit Number 1000-0038-CA, as well as the department decision, can be viewed on DHEC’s website at: www.scdhec.gov/Environment/AirQuality/ConstructionPermits/PermittingDecisions/.
DHEC said parties wishing to appeal the decision may do so on the same website.
Dorothy Brandenburg, spokesperson for Rockton Thruway residents opposed to the quarry, said her group’s main concern remains local water quality and availability.
“There are laws that pertain to ground water that we feel have not been adequately addressed in the application,” she said. “With that being said, I am interested in hearing if the company has made any further attempts to provide answers to Town Council regarding the request for an intent to serve letter.”
Brandenburg also said DHEC’s OK was “not a complete ruling as land and waste management also issues a permit that would pertain to our requests.”
