Post-Closure Care of the Pinewood Site
The Pinewood Site, located in a rural section of Sumter County, operated as a hazardous waste landfill between 1978 and 2000. As part of the bankruptcy proceedings involving the Site’s last operator, Safety-Kleen (Pinewood), Inc. and the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) reached a settlement with Safety-Kleen resolving Safety-Kleen’s long term environmental obligations to perform closure and post-closure care of the Site. The Site is now held in trust for the people of South Carolina through SCDHEC. By permit, the Site must be operated and maintained under post closure care requirements until 2103.
On July 1, 2024, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) became two separate agencies — the South Carolina Departments of Environmental Services (SCDES) and the South Carolina Department of Public Health (DPH). All DHEC’s environmental programs and policies prior to July 1, 2024, have been transferred to the newly formed SCDES. Please note that all references to DHEC on this webpage indicate events, documents, etc. that occurred prior to July 1, 2024. These references have been kept solely for historical accuracy.
