We have great news to share today: the mine operating permit application for West Cox Ferry Road Sand Mine has been withdrawn. This is a win for the Waccamaw National Wildlife Refuge!Moss Park Partners II, LLC notified the SC Department of Health and Environmental Control that it is withdrawing its permit application, and there has been no indication that a new permit application will be submitted. In light of this,…
Attend the Public Input Meeting on March 7 to learn about Mount Pleasant Way from the Town of Mount Pleasant staff and others. You will have the opportunity to ask questions and provide input about this proposed project and other infrastructure issues. Residents may have questions about road and pathway safety, potential community amenities, impacts on their homes and settlement communities, and the methods of property acquisition proposed by the Town. Town officials…
Today, the Coastal Conservation League stood beside partners at the Penn Center to officially relaunch the Penn School for Preservation. In February, the Penn Center received a $650,000 grant from the Coastal Community Foundation to relaunch the Penn School for Preservation, using courses to address land loss and development pressures in Beaufort County by providing training in civic engagement, citizenship, and community-based planning. The Conservation League will…
Charleston County is seeking to tax residents to pay for the outdated, overpriced Mark Clark/I-526 Extension by asking voters to extend a transportation sales tax for 25 years. Nearly half of all the money that would be collected until roughly 2050 would go to pay for one 9-mile-long road that would damage the environment, displace homes and businesses, and only be used by a fraction of Charleston County residents. That’s a bad deal…
On February 28, IHG Hotels & Resorts announced intentions to build an “eco-conscious resort, spa, and residential community” that would span Hilton Head Island, Daufuskie Island, and Bay Point Island. Any reference to development on Bay Point Island, a vulnerable barrier island at the mouth of the Port Royal Sound, is extremely concerning. The island has no infrastructure—no roads, water, sewer, or power—and is only accessible by boat or air. It is a dynamically shifting…
Stop House bill 5118! We must rally together to tell our legislators we must choose better action for our state’s future. On Tuesday, February 27, the Public Utilities Subcommittee of the House of Representatives will be discussing Bill H.5118. This is a dangerous bill that would green-light building huge new fossil fuel projects and then turn a blind eye to the implications it would have on ratepayers and natural resources. Put…
Utilities have not disclosed cost or location of gas pipeline projects needed Yesterday, the South Carolina Public Service Commission unanimously approved Santee Cooper’s long term power plan (Integrated Resource Plan, or “IRP”), greenlighting a new gas-fired power plant that would be jointly financed and owned by Dominion Energy South Carolina. The approval ignores concerns from intervenors and an independent consultant to the case about the gas plant that would be located…
At their January 18th, 2024 meeting, the Town of Ridgeland voted 4-1 to approve a resolution to accept an annexation petition for 3,000 acres along the Jasper County side of the Broad River, within the Euhaw-Broad River Planning Area. However, in order to finalize the annexation, Ridgeland must now pass multiple ordinances and hold a public hearing. Several of the parcels pending annexation are part of the historic Chelsea property, as well as a…
For over 30 years, the Conservation League has advocated against I-73 and the formerly titled Southern Evacuation Lifeline, now known as the SC Highway 22 Extension. These unnecessary highways would destroy hundreds of acres of protected wetlands and farmland through communities already facing major flooding —and at exorbitant price tags. Now, Horry County is discussing a referendum for a 25-year transportation tax for the ballot in November 2024 to raise $4 billion in sales…
Represented by the South Carolina Environmental Law Project, the Coastal Conservation League and Friends of Coastal South Carolina were recently granted approval to take part in legal action to oppose a proposed mine that would threaten important habitat and adversely impact the local community in rural Charleston County. As a small fishing town in rural Charleston County, McClellanville and the surrounding area are known for their outstanding water quality and famous Bull’s Bay oysters, clams…
