- Allendale Landfill
SCELP is representing Sierra Club and its Allendale County members in opposing permits for a new landfill, proposed at the site of an old landfill with existing groundwater contamination problems.
- Ashley River Docks - Updated
Assisting the SC Department of Archives and History ("Archives") in carrying out the Ashley River Historic District Special Area Management Plan by opposing dock permits.
- Bernholz Commercial Docking Facility
Goat Island is a small slice of natural, pristine beauty in Charleston County. The island does not have any serviceable roads and the residents enjoy the quiet, relaxed lifestyle of the island due in large part to difficulty accessing the island – the islanders transport all their goods by boat.
- Big Landing - Updated
Property purchasers at Big Landing were promised that no private docks would interfere with their view of pristine marshes and creeks; the developer later asked the state to amend a permit to allow for private docks; SCELP is now handling the appeal of the permit modification which removes the restriction on dock construction for this Horry County development.
- Chem Nuclear Landfill - Updated
SCELP is working with Columbia attorney Bob Guild to represent Sierra Club in an appeal of the renewal of the permit for the Chem-Nuclear low level radioactive waste landfill near Barnwell.
- Daufuskie Island Marina - Updated
In 1985, a permit was issued for construction of an enormous marina on Daufuskie Island, but to date the marina has not been built. The permit has been renewed several times. In 2000, the SC Coastal Conservation League attempted to have input into the renewal process, but the agency renewed the permit without notifying the League. On behalf of the League, SCELP is now challenging this renewal. Our latest appeal is pending in the South Carolina Court of Appeals.
- Fenwick Island - Updated
We are representing the SC Coastal Conservation League in a state court citizens suit against Dewey Wise for violations of coastal critical area permitting requirements at Fenwick Island in the ACE Basin. Mr. Wise removed an old bridge and placed fill dirt in saltwater critical area to create a causeway, all without a required state permit. We believe the causeway should be removed and the area restored.
- Myrtle Trace - Updated
When Myrtle Trace was developed, a buffer area was set aside as a nature preserve, as mitigation for wetlands filled by the developer. Then the agency that required the nature preserve granted a new permit allowing development of the nature preserve, located near Conway in Horry County. SCELP assisted a neighborhood group in overturning this new permit. The developer has now filed suit seeking to reinstate its permit.
- Nationwide Permit Certification Appeal
Under the Clean Water Act ("CWA"), the Corps of Engineers can issue nationwide permits ("NWP") for activities purportedly having minor impacts to waters and wetlands of the U.S. The CWA also gives DHEC authority to review these nationwide permits under a state certification program and allows DHEC to place additional conditions on them to ensure protection of wetlands. The federal Coastal Zone Management Act gives similar authority to OCRM.
- North Myrtle Beach - Perrone v. State - Updated
Can a family own the beach, creeks, canals, and marshes of Cherry Grove in North Myrtle Beach? In this case, the Perrone family claims to own the "critical areas" of the state's northernmost developed beach/estuarine resort area. SCELP represents the SC Coastal Conservation League and Sierra Club in helping the state defend this challenge to the Coastal Zone Management Act.
- Pawleys Island Golf Club
SCELP is representing the Georgetown County League of Women Voters in the appeal of a coastal zone consistency certification to allow filling a 1.29 acre wetland for a redesigned golf course in Georgetown County. For projects like this, our Coastal Management Program only allows filling of wetlands one acre or less, unless there are no feasible alternatives.
- Project DP
A development group, Spectre, LLC, requested a state permit and coastal zone certification to fill 31.76 acres of wetlands on a 62.93 acre tract of land in Murrells Inlet in Horry County. The request would have converted this almost 32 acre cypress swamp into a large commercial development.
- Riverside
SCELP represents the Coastal Conservation League and the Georgetown County League of Women Voters in challenging a project that would allow dredging of vegetated critical area salt marsh.
- Standing Appeals - Updated
In a series of cases, several Administrative Law Judges have issued decisions holding that persons who use an effected resource lack standing to challenge permits that impact those resources. SCELP is pursuing appeals of two of those cases, hoping to get favorable rulings from the Supreme Court correcting the ALJ's ideas of standing.
- Wayne Hill - Updated
A lot owner in the Cherry Grove section of North Myrtle Beach illegally filled in approximately 1500 sq. ft. of salt marsh to make his lot bigger.
- Wetlands Permit Review Project
In addition to our ongoing cases, SCELP has a special project aimed at reviewing all wetlands permitting activities throughout the State to determine whether these projects comply with environmental laws designed to protect wetlands. SCELP advises environmental groups and citizens of projects that violate wetlands protection laws, and ensures that these groups and citizens provide meaningful input to the permitting process.
SCELP
P.O. Box 1380Pawleys Island, SC 29585
843-527-0078