According to local media reports, South Carolina health officials are telling the owners of New-Indy’s Catawba paper mill to fix their plan to address lingering odor issues because the company’s initial actions did not meet the necessary requirements.
According to the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), New-Indy submitted its Corrective Action Plan (CAP) on June 15. Despite this, health officials have instructed New Indy to revise the plan to ensure it meets the requirements of the order. Once it is finalized, it will be posted to the DHEC web page.
“DHEC understands the impact this issue has had in York, Lancaster, and surrounding counties and is committed to continue working with New Indy to reduce offsite impacts,” said a statement from DHEC.
The corrective action plan requires New- Indy to come up with a schedule for actions that will help address and correct the odor and any operational issues contributing to it. It also requires the company to evaluate its wastewater treatment plant.
Lawsuits have been accumulating against New-Indy and the smell is still affecting multiple counties. Lawyers who recently fired a third class-action lawsuit against New-Indy hosted a town hall to answer questions about the ongoing odor. They were joined by health, engineering and environmental experts. DHEC says New Indy is responsible for a rotten egg odor that can be smelled 30 miles away. One lawsuit calls for a judge to shut down the New Indy mill until the company can stop the odor.
