SCDES said Richland County must pay $1 million of the fine over the next 11 months.
BLYTHEWOOD, S.C. — State officials have fined Richland County $3 million over what inspectors said were violations found at the Scout Motors plant construction site near Blythewood.
The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) executed a consent order with Richland County and Scout on May 5 that lays out the fines and also what corrective actions must be taken. A consent order is a way of resolving a legal matter without a trial.
While the fine against Richland County is $3 million, roughly $2 million of that total is eligible to be suspended if the facility meets certain requirements by several spelled-out deadlines.
Richland County owns the land off Blythewood Road where Scout is building a massive facility set to open in 2027 that will make electric SUVs and trucks. The county is responsible for managing the land, including efforts to stop water running off the site and any contamination that might cause.
The order states that back in March of 2024, SCDES—then known as SCDHEC—did an inspection of the site and found what they called “deficiencies” related to water and silt drainage at the site. The consent order says those included not having an emergency spillway near a basin, in-stream check dams at the property line of nearby Beasley Creek were too small, and an observation that silt and sediment had built up below the property line—an indication sediment was actively leaving the site. SCDHEC issued a notice of deficiency and asked the owners to correct the problem.
Subsequent inspections in April, June, and July of 2024 also noted deficiencies with stormwater plans and best management plans to control runoff, leading to sediment to enter Beasley Creek, according to SCDES. While some corrections were made that summer, more problems were noticed, however, at another inspection in August.
The newly created SCDES then met with representatives for Scout and Richland County in August. Richland County told the agency it had a corrective action plan that included working on better erosion control, among other measures.
Ultimately, SCDES concluded Richland County violated several state codes and regulations. The consent order states that Richland County now has to submit documentation that they are making changes to address problems at the site that they’ve identified over the next 45 to 60 days.
SCDES said Richland County must pay $1 million of the fine over the next 11 months. The first payment—$85,000—had to be made this month, with each subsequent one due on the first of the month. The rest of the $3 million could be avoided if Richland County makes the necessary corrections.
News19 contacted Richland County officials for comment on the consent order, and got this response:
“Richland County remains committed to upholding the highest environmental standards at the Scout Motors site. The June 2024 report was promptly resolved, and a third-party engineering firm was engaged—alongside the state—to ensure full regulatory compliance. Richland County has worked collaboratively to set goals and correct any outstanding issues.
We’re proud to support Scout Motors, the largest economic development project in our history, with over $2 billion in investment and 4,000 new jobs. This project marks a major step forward in creating opportunity and long-term growth for our region.
Richland County and the State remain focused on ensuring the project’s success and building a strong, sustainable future in partnership with Scout Motors.”
When contacted by News19, a Scout spokesperson said in part, “throughout this process, we have maintained open communication with County leadership and the South Carolina Department of Commerce, who we believe will ensure that the County and State’s work on the production site will be in full compliance with environmental regulations.
“Scout Motors remains fully committed to the successful launch of our $2 billion Production Center in Blythewood, South Carolina. We are dedicated to working collaboratively with our partners to finalize site construction, prepare for production, and create 4,000 rewarding new jobs, which will provide lasting benefits to the Midlands community and beyond.”
