Congaree River Keeper announces settlement with Blue Granite Water Company over waste discharge into
Lexington County, SC (Paul Kirby) – The Congaree Riverkeeper and Blue Granite Water Company announced Tuesday that they have received approval of a settlement agreement by the United States District Court for the District of South Carolina. This resolves the parties’ years-long litigation over the I-20 wastewater system.
Although both the Congaree River Keeper and Blue Granite Water believed that their positions had merit, they have determined it was in everyone’s best interest to come to an agreement that would bring an end to the case. “We are pleased to reach this agreement with Blue Granite and believe it will help our efforts to improve water quality in the Saluda River for many years to come,” said the Congaree Riverkeeper, Bill Stangler.
Looking forward to future water monitoring and planning in the Midlands, the Congaree River Keeper and Blue Granite Water have agreed that Blue Granite will donate to the Central Midlands Council of Governments (CMCOG) the sum of $350,000.00 to be used for the following purposes:
$250,000.00 to support water quality monitoring initiatives of the Midlands Rivers Coalition
$100,000.00 to support the CMCOG’s revisions to, and implementation of, its 208 Water Quality Management Plan
In addition, Blue Granite has agreed to pay the Southern Environmental Law Center (SELC) who litigated the suit against Blue Granite the sum of $385,000.00 for attorneys’ fees incurred after the suit was filed, as well as $23,000 to the United States Treasury.
“Blue Granite seeks to provide local water and wastewater service that supports vibrant communities, and we believe the agreement with Congaree River Keeper is an important step in supporting our customers and communities in the Midlands,” stated Michael Cartin, Blue Granite’s Director of External Affairs.
Both parties said the Congaree River Keeper and Blue Granite look forward to working together on future water quality management efforts. This includes Blue Granite’s current efforts to interconnect its Watergate Wastewater Treatment Facility to the Town of Lexington.
