South Carolina Code 44-56-59. Findings; conclusions
(1) The existing commercial land disposal facility in South Carolina and available capacity in this State generally are limited resources;
Terms Used In South Carolina Code 44-56-59
- Disposal: means the discharge, deposit, injection, dumping, spilling, leaking, or placing of any hazardous waste into or on any land or water so that such substance or any constituent thereof may enter the environment or be emitted into the air or discharged into any waters, including groundwater. See South Carolina Code 44-56-20
- Hazardous waste: means any waste, or combination of wastes, of a solid, liquid, contained gaseous, or semisolid form which because of its quantity, concentration, or physical, chemical, or infectious characteristics may in the judgment of the department:
a. See South Carolina Code 44-56-20 - Treatment: means any method, technique, or process, including neutralization, designed to change the physical, chemical, or biological character or composition of any hazardous waste, so as to neutralize such waste or so as to render such waste nonhazardous, safer for transport, amenable for recovery, amenable for storage, reduced in volume, or suitable for final disposal. See South Carolina Code 44-56-20
(2) It is essential that the limited waste treatment and disposal capacity of the existing commercial facility and the State in general be preserved, ready and available to ensure that the needs of South Carolina are met first;
(3) The existing commercial land disposal facility as well as other hazardous waste treatment and disposal facilities must give preference to hazardous waste generators within the State for treatment and disposal of hazardous materials at licensed facilities in the State;
(4) The General Assembly and the Executive Branch have mandated restrictions on the importation of out-of-state wastes and on the capacity of existing hazardous waste landfills; and
(5) Reducing the amount of hazardous waste shipped to South Carolina commercial facilities will send a message to all states that South Carolina intends to reduce to the greatest extent possible the amount of hazardous waste treated and disposed of in this State.
(B) Based upon these findings, the General Assembly declares that:
(1) Landfilling is the least desirable method of managing hazardous waste and, in order to reduce potential risks to human health and the environment, reliance on landfilling must be reduced or eliminated when alternative disposal methods which are technologically and economically feasible are reasonably available within the State, through regional agreements between states, or through other means; and
(2) As this State reduces its reliance on landfilling through its waste minimization practices and other means, the amount of hazardous waste being shipped into this State for landfilling from locations outside of the State should be reduced and eliminated also.