Landfill company says it’s buying Cook’s Mountain

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — A national landfill company has told local officials that it has a contract to buy Cook’s Mountain, one of the Columbia area’s most significant natural landmarks.

The State of Columbia reported (http://bit.ly/n9J0yK ) reported that a letter from the attorney for Republic Services Inc. to Richland County officials says the mountain’s owners are selling the property to the landfill’s owners for $5.1 million.

The mountain’s owners previously fought the landfill, located one mile from the mountain.

Records obtained by the newspaper show a sale would help Republic Services keep the waste dump open past the site’s 2019 closure date because it would dissolve an agreement with the mountain’s owners requiring the closure. Republic would then only have to dissolve an agreement with the Richland County Council.

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Information from: The State, http://www.thestate.com