RICHLAND COUNTY, S.C. — Tuesday night, Richland County council approved a request by Westinghouse Electric to rezone 53 acres of its 1100 acre property.
Westinghouse representatives say the rezone would help them stay competitive in the market with a new facility.
This approval from council goes against the recommendation of the county's planning commission, who disapproved this zoning request earlier this month.
That December 2, 2024 decision came at a public meeting crowded with residents sharing their concerns about the plan.
And tonight, several residents showed up again, as county council met to decide the future of the Westinghouse rezone proposal.
Company representatives were also on hand making their case to council.
"The new facility will generate less air and water discharges compared to existing operations. This means that as we move production from the old to the new facility, the total site emissions will decrease," said Nancy Parr, Westinghouse environmental protection manager.
The company, which was part of the failed VC Summer nuclear project, said it wants to partner with the community and be a good neighbor.
District 10 representative Cheryl English, who serves this area where the facility sits said she did not take this rezoning decision lightly.
"I've seen Westinghouse as a part of the community engagement board just take full responsibility and say, hey, these are some things that we didn't do right and these are some things that we're working on. We want to be open, we want to be transparent, and we really want to be a part of this community," English said. "It was a weighted decision. It was probably one of the hardest that I've made."
Residents who live in the area said they have overwhelming concern for the environmental impact.
"Westinghouse has more than sufficient property already zoned as heavy industrial to build an additional plant closer to Bluff Road, a location farther from the Bluff edge than the proposed site would provide better buffering for the Congaree River floodplain, thus better protecting sensitive sites, including Congaree National Park," said John Grego, president of the Friends of Congaree Swamp.
Opponents also argued that the area in question falls under designation of a conservation zone.
"Your own staff has said this does not adhere to the code. The planning commission has said this does not adhere to the code," State representative Robert Reese said.
Now that the rezoning has been approved, construction has the green light.