Sammy Fretwell

Wealthy SC beach house owner won’t have to tear out disputed seawall anytime soon, if ever A Charleston County man who state officials say built an illegal seawall can keep the wall in place as his fight against the state works its way through SC courts, a judge has ruled

Isle of Palms beach house owner likely to keep disputed seawall for years following judge's ruling. At issue is wall's effect on public beach

www.thestate.com/news/local/e...

Whale skeleton never displayed in SC as planned 40 years ago. What happened to the bones? The bones of a whale that died at North Myrtle Beach 40 years ago were supposed to be displayed at SC’s state museum. But it never happened.

The mystery of the whale bones

www.thestate.com/news/local/e...

Thousands of acres protected by SC Conservation Bank. Now, its director is leaving Raleigh West took charge of the SC Conservation Bank after a series of controversies. Now, he’s leaving following a string of land protection successes.

Major change announced at SC Conservation Bank

www.thestate.com/news/local/e...

Influential SC environmental group’s leader is leaving amid organization changes The latest director at the Coastal Conservation League is leaving her post following staff turnover

Leader of influential SC environmental group quits, saying only that she's looking for new challenge
www.thestate.com/news/local/e...

Tanker trucks unload chicken factory gunk from NC on South Carolina farms A storm is brewing in eastern South Carolina over the use of chicken plant sludge from North Carolina to fertilize farm fields

Sludge wars: NC sending chicken plant gunk to SC as fertilizer. Transporters say it's a good way to enrich crop fields, but pollution concerns remain

www.thestate.com/news/local/e...

Concerns about crop safety prompt SC lawmaker to seek limit on sludge fertilizer A state representative says he plans to introduce a bill to limit the use of sewer sludge from farm fields to prevent forever chemicals from polluting the landscape

www.thestate.com/news/local/e...

Yale researchers find high levels of ‘forever chemicals’ in SC farmland Yale researchers find contamination on SC farmland, the latest in the unfolding saga of forever chemical pollution in the Palmetto State

Yale research finds toxins on SC farm, the latest in the unfolding story of forever chemicals in the state

www.thestate.com/news/local/e...

Wealthy SC landowners fight to protect beach houses from rising seas Two high profile legal cases over how strictly South Carolina can enforce beach protection laws are before the SC Court of Appeals

www.thestate.com/news/local/e...

SC agency chose not to protect rivers because of industry pressure, ex-official says Staffers at SC’s environmental agency knew river protection rules were weak, but top officials declined to take action, ex-official says

www.thestate.com/news/local/e...

Palmetto Trail hikers slowed by regulations, ‘headaches’ at Fort Jackson Hikers may run into a snag of red tape when they reach the Fort Jackson stretch of the Palmetto Trail

www.thestate.com/news/local/e...

Congaree National Park threatened by pollution, politics after 50 years as preserve Congaree National Park in SC has attracted multitudes of scientific research projects and plenty of visitors. But it faces challenges.

www.thestate.com/news/local/e...

Farmer whose SC community was ‘poisoned’ by fertilizer warns others of danger A farmer from South Carolina says others are using sludge as fertilizer to enrich agricultural fields, despite the potential danger of toxins in the waste material.

www.thestate.com/news/local/e...

SC farmer will visit Washington to tell story of toxic pollution in his community Darlington County’s Robbie O’Neal has been outspoken about how unsuspecting farmers who used sludge as fertilizer later leaned that it contained toxic forever chemicals. Now he’s going to Congress to ...

www.thestate.com/news/local/e...

More than $30 million projected for conservation under SC casino gambling plan Lawmakers are expected to weigh funding conservation projects through casino gambling bill for South Carolina along I-95

www.thestate.com/news/local/e...

Suit filed to stop massive data center near nationally renowned nature preserve in SC Landowners are taking a South Carolina county to court in an effort to stop a massive data center in the ACE Basin

www.thestate.com/news/local/e...

SC judge upholds order requiring wealthy landowner to tear down illegal seawall A judge has upheld an earlier ruling requiring a wealthy Isle of Palms property owner to tear out a seawall he built in what regulators say was a violation of state coastal law

www.thestate.com/news/local/e...

SC politicians seek ban on cavity-fighting fluoride in public drinking water Fluoride is credited with improving the dental health of children and adults for decades, but some South Carolina legislators are suspicious and want to ban it

www.thestate.com/news/local/e...

Scientists use ‘torpedo’ in effort to save rare whales from boat collisions Scientists are working to protect right whales off the Carolina, Georgia and Florida coast with the use of warning systems to alert boaters.

www.thestate.com/news/local/e...

Trump’s EPA blasted over failure to stop SC from polluting iconic national parks South Carolina industries are among those causing air pollution in Smoky Mountain National Park and other protected areas. But critics say the state’s plan to address the issue is too weak.

Trump's EPA, SC agency under fire for approving 'do-nothing' plan to protect national parks from South Carolina air pollution

www.thestate.com/news/local/e...

Mountainlike bluffs overlooking national park targeted for protection near Columbia The state is trying to acquire an unusual stretch of high bluffs near Congaree National Park south of Columbia

Some future land protection news in South Carolina

www.thestate.com/news/local/e...

Popular ‘mountain man’ dies after a lifetime of study and education in SC’s Blue Ridge A popular mountain man has died after a lifetime of studying and writing about nature

Well-known 'mountain man,' writer and storyteller dies after brief illness at his South Carolina home

www.thestate.com/news/local/e...

Infections rise sharply as flesh-eating microbe moves through creeks of coastal SC Vibrio, a toxic microbe found in warm coastal waters, is on the rise in South Carolina as the earth’s climate changes.

Infections rise sharply as flesh-eating microbe moves through creeks of coastal SC
www.thestate.com/news/local/e...

SC court tells wealthy homeowner to tear out seawall at high-end beach house SC state Administrative Law judge calls removal of Isle of Palms seawall “warranted.’’ But judge also tosses out $289,00 fine against homeowner.

Judge orders wealthy beach house owner to tear down seawall regulators say he built illegally near Charleston.

www.thestate.com/news/local/e...

Trees fall, taxpayer costs rise under plan to offset Scout project’s damage Trees are being cut in a national forest under a multi million dollar plan to make up for environmental damage at the Scout Motors project

Another look at the Scout motor vehicle plant's effort to offset environmental damage at its construction site in South Carolina.

www.thestate.com/news/local/e...

Taxpayers spend $60 million to make up for environmental damage at Scout site Environmental damage from the Scout electric vehicle plant near Columbia is costing South Carolina almost $60 million

Offsetting wetlands and stream damage at massive electric vehicle plant is costing SC taxpayers a bundle

www.thestate.com/news/local/e...

Nation’s highest chemical pollution in SC river sparks call for cleanup Environmentalists demand action as Sumter’s wastewater plant contaminates the Pocotaligo River with toxic forever chemicals, threatening public health.

Environmentalists target SC city over forever chemical discharges that have polluted river where people fish. Nation's highest PFAS levels found in river, one study says.

www.thestate.com/news/local/e...

Gas pipeline would cut through land targeted for conservation, map shows A map obtained by conservationists shows that a new pipeline will cut through a natural area of swamps and rivers that have been targeted for protection in recent decades.

Natural gas pipeline route surfaces in South Carolina after months of secrecy. Land targeted for protection is along the route.

www.thestate.com/news/local/e...

Radioactive wasp nests spark demand for answers at SC’s Savannah River Site The discovery of radioactive wasp nests at SC’s Savannah River site have sparked questions. Some researchers and activists are urging the government to provide more details.

Could radioactive wasps signal larger problems at SC nuclear weapons complex? More information sought.

www.thestate.com/news/local/e...

Forest land near SC coast to be protected. It’s a nesting site for rare birds A conservation group says it plans to protect 8,000 acres near Georgetown before the property is developed. Rare kites nest on the property.

Multimillion dollar land protection deal announced in South Carolina. Rare birds will benefit, conservationists say.

www.thestate.com/news/local/e...

SC commerical fisherman gets prison for lying about overfishing Evidence against commercial fisherman Don Rynn included video clips, witnesses in the commercial fishing business and experts testifying how overfishing certain species hurts everyone.

Overfishing is a continuing concern along SC's coast. My colleague, John Monk, details one fisherman's troubles with the law.

www.thestate.com/news/local/c...