December 26, 2009

COLUMBIA, S.C. -- South Carolina environmentalists hope a court will force a nuclear waste dump in Barnwell County to bury its garbage differently.

The State of Columbia reports the Sierra Club wants Chem-Nuclear to plug holes in burial vaults and line trenches with plastic instead of clay to make sure rainwater that falls on the garbage doesn't contaminate groundwater.

The state Court of Appeals is hearing the Sierra Club's challenge to Chem-Nuclear's operating permit for the dump, which buries waste from South Carolina and two other states. The dump used to be open to the entire country.

Chem-Nuclear says the landfill is safe and there have been no health problems reported by nearby residents. State environmental officials say the operating permit was properly issued.

(Copyright 2009 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)