SCDES Could Hold Public Meeting if Public Interest is Significant
FAIRFIELD COUNTY – Vulcan Construction Materials, LLC is requesting state approval to expand its Fairfield County granite quarry, including adding land to the permitted site, increasing the size of the mining pit and relocating its processing plant.
According to a public notice issued by the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES), Vulcan has applied to modify its existing mine operating permit for the Fairfield Quarry, located on State Road S-20-41, also known as Old River Road, approximately 6.75 miles northeast of Winnsboro, and on the east side of I-77.
The property is identified as TMS# 110-00-00-004 and 111-00-00-039.
The proposed permit modification would allow Vulcan to add land to the quarry’s permitted acreage, increase the pit area, move the processing plant, and add an overburden storage area, according to the Sept. 3 public notice.
Vulcan has also submitted a reclamation plan that calls for restoring the site to a lake and grasslands after mining operations end.
SCDES is conducting a technical review of the application and related documents and will accept written public comments through Sept. 25, 2026.
According to the notice, public comments may affect the agency’s decision by providing additional information for consideration and could also be used in determining specific terms and conditions Vulcan would be required to follow if the permit modification is approved.
SCDES could hold a public meeting if there is a significant amount of public interest in the proposed expansion.
The proposed expansion comes about seven years after Vulcan’s plans for the quarry drew opposition from residents living near the site.
When the company announced plans in 2019 for what was then described as an $18 million granite quarry, nearby property owners appeared before Fairfield County Council to raise concerns about dust, noise, blasting, groundwater and the possible effect of the operation on their homes and property.
At that time, Vulcan said that of its 909.7-acre property along I-77, only 127.7 acres, or about 14 percent, would be mined. The company said the remaining 86 percent would be left unmined for setbacks, buffers, natural landscape and wildlife habitat.
Vulcan Mum on Additional Acreage
The current public notice does not state how many additional acres Vulcan is seeking to add to the permitted mining area or how much larger the pit would become.
During the original permitting process, Rob Black, whose family had lived on property along Hwy 21 for 90 years, told council that nearby residents were concerned about noise from drilling, blasting and rock crushing, as well as dust generated by the operation.
“We worry about what Vulcan isn’t telling us,” Black said at the time.
His wife, Michelle Black, said residents were concerned not only about periodic blasting but the continuing operations necessary to prepare for blasting and process the rock.
“It’s not the blasting that will be the largest source of noise and disturbance,” she said. “It’s the constant drilling of the blasting holes and the crushers running constantly.”
Water was also a major concern for residents because many homes in the area depended on wells.
Property owner David Ray told council in 2019 that the quarry would be located near Horse Creek branch, which flows into Little Wateree Creek.
“While we’re concerned about the dust and the noise that the quarry will create, our water is our main issue,” Ray said. “There’s no county water out there. You think about losing your water. If we lose our well water, we’re out of water.”
Another nearby resident, Kevin Thomas, questioned whether the economic benefits of the quarry outweighed its potential impact on neighboring properties.
“We have great concerns about the potential loss of our water wells and the dust and noise of blasting that will risk the destabilization of the foundations of our homes that come with any quarry,” Thomas told council.
Vulcan officials defended the project at the time. Elliott Botzis, then vice president and general manager for Vulcan Materials in South Carolina, said in a statement to The Voice that the Fairfield quarry would provide building materials for homes, businesses and infrastructure while creating jobs and generating tax revenue.
The quarry was also proposed near Fairfield County’s 1,500-acre industrial megasite, another issue raised by residents during the initial permitting process.
Then-County Council Chairman Neil Robinson said in 2019 that because the property was already zoned for the proposed use, the county had limited ability to directly affect the project. He nevertheless said residents needed an opportunity to have their questions answered.
“Our citizens need to have a voice in this,” Robinson said at the time.
Residents will now have another opportunity to weigh in as SCDES considers Vulcan’s request to expand the quarry.
Written comments on the permit modification will be accepted through Sept. 25. The public notice lists SCDES contact Colby G. Myers at (803) 898-3079 or Colby.Myers@des.sc.gov for questions or assistance.
To submit a comment, visit des.sc.gov/publicnotices and use the “Add Comment” tab at the top of the page.