Columbia, SC — Now that the full disaster that was Sandy is being evaluated in the states of New York, New Jersey and Connecticut, one element of any plan for recovery will be disposing of the countless tons of toxic trash left behind by the storm. Not one of those three states is equipped or willing to dispose of it all, neither is any one of the states between us and the Delaware River.

I have no doubt that their plan will involve shipping it by rail to South Carolina. I call upon the governor, the Legislature and the Department of Health and Environmental Control to not let this happen. South Carolina cannot be the dumping ground for this poisonous mixture. We have enough already and cannot take anymore. Those states need to dispose of it regionally the best way they can. Perhaps Maryland, Virginia and North Carolina will take a good portion of it all, but I am confident they will not.

South Carolina had better be on its guard or the Palmetto State (whose new motto might be, “Trash Us, We Need the Money) will be living with many more leaking waste dumps for many decades to come.

John Huffman

West Columbia