That’s the message that Pickens County Administrator Chap Hurst had for county council Monday evening, as he warned them about the challenges ahead.
The problem is that no county in the Upstate would meet the new rigorous standards if those standards were set in place, Hurst said. They’re slated to begin in August.
“This is probably one of the most serious, devastating, anti-capitalistic things that could happen to this county,” Hurst said.
Hurst said that the new regulations could suppress many industries in the county because they would also have a hard time meeting those requirements.
Councilman Jim London, who represents the Clemson area of the county, suggested that the requirements might not be so stringent.
He said he believes the federal government will be willing to work with the county if it shows that it has a plan and that it’s trying to be in compliance. He suggested that the county develop a strategy to at least show the EPA that it’s trying to meet the standards.
“We just need to stay on top of that and watch it closely and do whatever is necessary,” London said.
London, the only Democrat on council, also said that Pickens County would likely be in much better shape than major metropolitan areas such as Charlotte and Atlanta.
“There are some issues here, but not as serious as Charlotte and Atlanta,” he said.
Hurst replied that Pickens County is put in an unfair position because “we have no control over what they do in Charlotte or in Atlanta.” Even though Pickens County is a couple of hours away from both cities, the emissions in those areas still affect the Upstate of South Carolina, he said.
“They’re going to tighten up everything that you do on your car,” Hurst said, but added that even drastic changes may not be enough.
“We can shut off all the cars in Pickens County and it probably wouldn’t make a difference,” he said.
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