McGinnis
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In a letter recently mailed to the governor, McGinnis provided Stein with a lengthy and detailed account of what he and his neighbors in the Polkton and Burnsville areas feel they have been suffering due to what they perceive as mismanagement by the landfill.
POLKTON — Taking up the mantle of those that came before him, Charles McGinnis, a resident of Polkton, has year after year brought his concerns regarding Waste Connections Anson County Landfill, to the Anson County Board of Commissioners, as he did again this past Tuesday, and has now reached out to Governor Josh Stein.
In a letter recently mailed to the governor, McGinnis provided Stein with a lengthy and detailed account of what he and his neighbors in the Polkton and Burnsville areas feel they have been suffering due to what they perceive as mismanagement by the landfill.
“The nauseating stench from the landfill was very pungent at my house this morning. It’s not an inconvenience you dismissively laugh off. It’s a potent mix of over 150 toxic, cancer-causing substances, that is regularly poisoning my family and my animals. Sulfur dioxide, and nitrogen oxides, to name a few,” writes McGinnis, who says he believes the landfill has become an ongoing environmental and public health disaster.
McGinnis claims he and his neighbors have seen a sharp increase in veterinary bills. His donkey has developed chronic eye issues that McGinnis said he attributes to the brew of chemicals he says are escaping daily from the landfill.
“My family lives about 2.25 miles from the landfill’s facility. If a circle with that radius was drawn around the landfill, it would encompass an area of approximately five square miles or 3,142 acres, where toxic gases are being released into Anson County communities. That’s if the toxic gas stopped at my house, which it doesn’t, in fact, it went well into the town of Polkton this morning as well,” writes McGinnis. He adds, “This blatant disregard for our health and well-being breaches both the county franchise agreement and DEQ regulations. And, the most insidious of all, we are witnessing it usurp our local governance and slowly starve this county out of existence,” he said, referencing Anson’s population numbers.
McGinnis wants Governor Stein to know residents of the affected area have repeatedly entreated county officials for independent oversight within the facility and for an explanation as to why Waste Connections currently accepts waste from over thirty counties- even distant locations such as Charleston, SC. He claims according to the franchise agreement, intake of waste should be limited to the surrounding area.
“Furthermore, we’ve provided compelling reasons why it’s a bad idea to put the landfill in its current location (a swamp). We exposed the negative impact it has on economic development, health, and quality of life in our communities. We correctly predicted that it would contaminate the streams and groundwater. Yet, it continues to expand at an alarming rate, destroying wetlands, animal habitat, and poisoning our communities unabated,” McGinnis writes to the governor.
According to records, no independent testing has been conducted on the wetlands surrounding the landfill area.
McGinnis provided the governor with a list of requests he and his neighbors would like to see addressed including:
•Create a full-time independent oversight position to monitor waste intake.
•Deploy a sufficient number of Biogas detectors around the landfill to verify and mitigate the toxic gas releases, thereby limiting deniability.
•Reevaluate, renegotiate, and revise the franchise agreement, with the assistance of a competent contract lawyer, to ensure that the welfare of our county and citizens take precedence over corporate profits.
•Ensure retroactive and effective consequences are imposed by the Anson County Sheriff’s Office when landfill violations occur, as DEQ has failed to prevent them for the past four years.
•Control landfill expansion by reducing daily intake from the current 6,000 tons per day to 1,500 tons per day, as outlined in the original franchise agreement.
•Redefine the definition of “Surrounding area” as stated in the franchise agreement by identifying specific counties and types of waste that is allowed into our county.
•Enhance transparency by strategically positioning cameras that are publicly accessible within the facility premises for proactive supervision.
Additionally, McGinnis provided Stein with a detailed catalogue of incidents he says he has experienced from May 4, 2023 until January 3, 2025.
Speaking before commissioners Tuesday, McGinnis stated, “The reason I am here is I just want to remind you guys, I try to do this about every year, that you can shut that landfill down tomorrow. All you have to do is contact Jason Watkins [Solid Waste Section Chief] – send him a letter and he will pull all the permits- there is nothing the landfill could do to stop it.”