South Carolina looks for money to protect toxic waste dump

COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) — South Carolina senators are trying to figure out how much money it will take to keep a toxic waste landfill in Sumter County safe for decades to come.

A subcommittee held its first meeting Wednesday where they were told it costs an average of nearly $5 million each year to keep the toxic waste inside the Pinewood landfill.

The site had a $35 million trust fund to protect it in 2003 when its owners went bankrupt, but that account has dwindled to less than $6 million.

The Department of Health and Environmental Control is asking for nearly $4 million this year for the landfill. Lawmakers say they will need to find continuous funding to keep the site safe.

A third party company reported the landfill doesn’t currently pose any danger.