DHEC responsible for possible nuclear waste dump cover-up, critics charge

Published: September 6, 2007, 4:03 pm

In the case of the alleged plan to conceal vital information about radioactive material leaks at the low level nuclear waste dump in Barnwell County, conservationists are holding the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control solely responsible for the misdeeds. At a news conference Thursday, the Conservation Voters of South Carolina condemned DHEC for failing to disclose records that reveal alarmingly high radioactivity in the groundwater at the site and other data detailing serious pollution concerns. DHEC's general reluctance to offer pertinent information raises larger questions about whether the agency is adequately notifying both the public and policymakers about the state of South Carolina's environment, Conservation Voters director Ann Timberlake said Wednesday. Maps showing elevated tritium levels in more than 30 groundwater monitoring wells were not made public until after lawmakers debated the bill to keep the landfill open to the nation,

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