Dive Brief:

• Officials from South Carolina’s Department of Health and Environmental Control say five state landfill owners don’t have funds to maintain or clean up their landfills.
• The five landfills in need of care and funds include Appletons Landfills in Allendale County; Bennetts Landfill Inc. in Chester County.; HR Garrett Landfill in Laurens County.; Goff Landfill in Saluda County.; and Cliffsdale Road in Spartanburg County.
• After discovering Bennett Landfill had no funds to maintain the site, DHEC audited finances of all the state’s landfills and found five sites wanting. DHEC also found that Bennett Landfill owner Ronald Olsen had withdrawn money meant for maintaining the landfill five years before, according to WSPA.com.

Dive Insight:

In May, Olsen was indicted for two counts of violating the Solid Waste Policy and Management Act, and pleaded not guilty. He will face charges in court in July. But the case raises the question of whether an annual check of South Carolina landfill finances is needed.