Clean Water Fund Set Up Following SC Gas Spill Suit

A settlement in a previous gasoline spill case has finally been reached and provides a South Carolina county with a hefty financial benefit.

One of the largest gas pipeline spills in state history took place in 2014 when energy company Kinder Morgan spilled over 350,000 gallons of gasoline in Anderson county. After the gas spill, Upstate Forever and the Savannah Riverkeeper sued Kinder Morgan in federal court under the Clean Water Act for their role in the spill.

The case was appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court, where a precedent was set from a previous case that companies were responsible for the pollution stemming from initial groundwater contamination.

A settlement in the case was recently reached and provides the county with $1.5 million, which was secured by environmental groups.

The money will be administered by conservation groups and go towards projects to protect and/or restore water quality in Anderson County, in addition to increasing awareness about water quality issues in the county.