HOPKINS, S.C. — The Richland County Planning Commission has pumped the brakes on a proposed expansion by Westinghouse Electric Company, potentially slowing progress on a state-of-the-art nuclear fuel plant in Hopkins.
In a decision Monday night, the commission recommended disapproval of a rezoning request for 52.71 acres of undeveloped land near Westinghouse’s Bluff Road facility. The company sought to rezone the land from agricultural to heavy industrial to build a new facility for advanced nuclear fuel manufacturing. The rezoning proposal will now go to the Richland County Council, which will make a final decision on December 17.
While Westinghouse has positioned the expansion as a step toward producing Low Enriched Uranium Plus (LEU+), an advanced nuclear fuel, the planning commission found the proposal inconsistent with the county's 2015 Comprehensive Plan, which designates the area for conservation. The plan prioritizes low-impact uses, such as forestry and natural open spaces, particularly near the Congaree River.
Residents raised concerns about potential environmental impacts. The facility is close to the Congaree River biosphere.
Richland County Councilman Don Weaver said Tuesday the council must weigh the economic advantages of the expansion, which promises to bring high-paying, high-tech jobs to the area.
“We don't have a lot of high-tech industry out there,” Weaver said. “These are good-paying jobs, and we want to encourage that.”
Westinghouse announced in 2023 its plans to build a 275,000-square-foot facility on the site, slated to begin construction in late 2025 and be operational by 2029. The project, according to the company, is essential for meeting demand from the nation’s nuclear power plants.
In a statement provided after the planning commission’s decision, Westinghouse said, “For the last 50 years, Columbia has produced the nuclear fuel that powers roughly 10% of all the electricity used in the United States. This expansion would help us continue to provide the safest, most advanced nuclear fuel to the nation’s nuclear power plants. We are working with Richland County officials on our planned expansion...."
Councilman Weaver says he wants to see more specific plans for how the land would be used before making any decisions about the rezoning.
“We need to hear more from Westinghouse—to hear what they plan on doing with the change in zoning,” Weaver said.
The rezoning proposal will go before the Richland County Council at its next zoning public hearing on December 17.