Commission Prepares Legal Action Against Haley, SCDHEC ...

A state commission empowered with protecting South Carolina?s economic interests along the Savannah River is expected to take legal action against the S.C. Department of Health and Environmental Control (SCDHEC) ? and possibly Gov. Nikki Haley ? in the wake of a hugely controversial decision to let the state of Georgia deepen the Savannah River.

This legal action is expected to be announced at an emergency meeting of the Savannah River Maritime Commission scheduled for 10:00 a.m. EST in Columbia, S.C.

Sources tell FITS that the commission will seek some form of injunction against SCDHEC?s decision ? which granted Georgia the keys to its $600 million port expansion less than six weeks after the agency initially rejected the dredging project.

SCDHEC?s approval of the Georgia project would enable the Port of Savannah to handle larger container ships, enhancing its competitive advantage at the expense of the Port of Charleston, which has seen its competitive position plummet in recent years. More importantly, the decision likely amounts to a death knell for a proposed Jasper County port ? effectively granting South Carolina?s seal of approval to Georgia?s plan to stab our state in the back regarding the development of this deep water port.

Haley under fire for SCDHEC vote.

Created in 2007, the Savannah River Maritime Commission is specifically empowered by statute to represent the state of South Carolina ?in all matters pertaining to the navigability, depth, dredging, wastewater and sludge disposal, and related collateral issues in regard to the use of the Savannah River as a waterway for ocean-going container or commerce vessels.?

In other words, it?s supposed to be responsible for precisely the sort of agreement negotiated by SCDHEC with Georgia. In fact, it was created to avoid precisely this sort of situation.

Amazingly, though, the commission was not even consulted regarding SCDHEC?s decision.

At Monday?s meeting, we?re told that several of the S.C. General Assembly?s most powerful ?Republicans in Name Only? will join the growing cacophony of bipartisan opposition ? nay, outrage over SCDHEC?s questionable decision.

More importantly, the legal action could lead to an official investigation into Haley?s role in this mushrooming scandal.

Haley has consistently denied pressuring SCDHEC ? an agency she recently took over ? regarding the Savannah River project. However, the governor?s legislative liaison ? Katherine Veldran ? confirmed the worst-kept political secret in the Palmetto state early Sunday morning when she acknowledged Haley?s role in the scandal to a Democratic lawmaker.

FITS reported on this exchange shortly after it happened ? and the lawmaker confirmed our report via his twitter feed a few hours later.

?I wasn?t shocked to hear what I heard (from the staffer),?S.C. Rep. Boyd Brown (D-Winnsboro) tweeted. ?Bad decisions define the Haley administration.?

Larry Grooms

Even before this revelation, S.C. Sen. Larry Grooms (R-Berkeley) was already demanding an investigation into the source of the political pressure applied to the agency ? especially in light of rumors that business interests with ties to the Savannah Port have allegedly showered Haley with financial and political favors in recent weeks.

Whether Haley was bought off with money and political favors or not ? there?s no question that this decision represents a dramatic reversal of her previous position regarding port issues. There?s also no question that the decision is not in the state of South Carolina?s best interests ? potentially costing our economy hundreds of millions of dollars and doing untold damage to the environment.

On Friday, Grooms slammed Haley?s decision on his Twitter page ? mocking the governor?s recent mandate that all state employees answer their telephones with the greeting ?It?s a great day in South Carolina, how may I help you??

?Thanks to DHEC, state offices may as well start answering their phones ?It?s a great day in Georgia, how may we help them,?? Grooms tweeted.

?You now have a governor who does not like to lose,? Haley told a cheering crowd of S.C. State Ports Authority supporters in Charleston. ?Georgia has had their way with us for way too long, and I don?t have the patience to let it happen anymore.?

Last month, though ? right around the time that Georgia donors allegedly began stroking checks to her campaign ? Haley?s tune began to change.

?Every port is different, and every port has its challenges,? Haley told Savannah?s WJCL/FOX 28 last month. ?We have to say ?What do we need to do that is right for the region?? Our goal is to make sure every port (in the region) is successful.?

Amazing ? we thought Haley?s job was to promote South Carolina?s best interests ? particularly in light of our state?s chronically-high unemployment rate, low income levels, deteriorating competitiveness and recessionary economy.

In fact, that?s exactly what one state lawmakers said.

?Governor Haley apparently needs to be reminded that her job is to protect the interests of South Carolinians, not to do ?what?s best for the region,?? S.C. Rep. Kevin Ryan (R-Georgetown) said in response to the SCDHEC vote.

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Source: http://www.fitsnews.com/2011/11/13/commission-prepares-legal-action-against-haley-scdhec/

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