By Paul Gable
Representatives from Horry County, the Coastal Conservation League and SC Wildlife Federation will meet this afternoon to discuss International Drive.
The talks will be an exploration to determine if any compromise is possible to get the International Drive construction started.
As of right now, the environmentalist groups have until August 29, 2015 to determine if they will appeal a recent decision by the SCDHEC board not to conduct a final review on the project.
If it comes, the appeal will be made to the Administrative Law Court.
Representatives of the CCL have indicated in media reports that they may be open to a compromise solution that would avoid more legal action and move the project along.
Horry County Council Chairman Mark Lazarus reached out to the groups after the SCDHEC decision to determine if any compromise is possible.
Lazarus told me he thought it was proper to take the initiative on attempting to find a compromise.
“IF it goes to court, I will feel better being able to say we tried to find a compromise,” Lazarus said.
I salute Lazarus on the attempt. There is really nothing that should be stopping the International Drive project from moving forward other than senseless roadblocks put up by the environmentalist groups.
While we have a possible debate between the two remaining Republican candidates in the SC House District 106 special primary and we will have the two debates for Republican presidential candidates later today, the discussion between Horry County and the environmentalists is the most important event today to directly and immediately affect county citizens.
On another topic, I have just heard Charleston County has signed the contract with the Horry County Solid Waste Authority for recyclable processing at the HCSWA material recycling facility.
The HCSWA has been accepting recyclables from Charleston County since Monday on the basis that a signed contract was imminent. That now appears to have been accomplished.
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