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By Michael Smith

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As the S.C. Senate prepares to take up a pending flow control bill, the bill鈥檚 opponents are rallying the troops to prevent it from becoming law.

The S.C. Association of Counties plans to hold a news conference Tuesday at the state house to declare its opposition to the bill.

Horry County Council members were briefed on the bill at its infrastructure and regulation committee meeting Thursday.

Councilman James Frazier, D-District 7, said he鈥檚 spoken with six senators who oppose the bill. Frazier said he鈥檚 attending the Tuesday press conference in Columbia and urged other council members to join him.

鈥淭hey [senators] said they鈥檇 be with us on flow control, but we need more,鈥� Frazier said. 鈥淲e need more representatives to go besides me.鈥�

This is the second attempt by state lawmakers to overturn Horry County鈥檚 flow control ordinance, which requires haulers in Horry County to take trash to the county landfill on S.C. 90.

It also prohibits waste generated outside Horry County from being dumped here.

Mike Bessant, public affairs director for the Horry County Solid Waste Authority, said there are versions of flow control in at least 24 other counties.

State lawmakers who oppose flow control say it allows counties to create a monopoly on trash. Supporters say haulers should have the right to choose where they deposit trash.

Horry County leaders say their flow control law helps fund 911 operations, as well as public education efforts at the SWA.

They also question whether the state has the right to intrude into county affairs.

鈥淚f they [state lawmakers] paid attention to home rule, they wouldn鈥檛 have this problem,鈥� said Councilman Gary Loftus, R-District 4.

The House passed the bill on Jan. 30 by an 89-28 vote. Four members abstained and two were absent.

At Thursday鈥檚 I&R Committee meeting, Frazier said the House majority 鈥渙stracized鈥� Rep. Kevin Hardee, R-Loris, saying that the District 105 House member voted against the flow control bill.

鈥淭hey pushed him aside because he voted against it,鈥� Frazier said.

State House records show Hardee actually voted for the bill.

Rep. Tracy Edge, R-North Myrtle Beach voted against the bill, according to a roll call list.

Reached by phone Friday, Hardee said he voted against the flow control bill at the committee level, but changed his vote when it came to the House floor.

Hardee is a member of the House agriculture, natural resources and environmental affairs committee, which is chaired by Rep. Nelson Hardwick, R-Surfside Beach, a bill co-sponsor.

Hardee said the bill could be detrimental to how counties handle solid waste, but he also thinks flow control has potentially harmful effects on private haulers and private businesses.

He denied being pressured by other lawmakers to change his vote.

鈥淚 have mixed feelings about it [flow control],鈥� Hardee said. 鈥淚 voted against overturning it in committee, but as I was thinking about it and listening to the majority of them talk, it sort of is a monopoly.鈥�

The rest of the Horry County delegation, including Rep. Mike Ryhal, R-Carolina Forest, voted in favor of annulling flow control.

SWA officials said Thursday that if flow control is signed into law, it鈥檒l precipitate $715,000 in cuts, about 1.8 percent of its budget.

If flow control is abolished, the SWA anticipates it鈥檒l lose 30 percent of construction and demolition waste. To offset those loses, the SWA will have to cut $100,000 out of lobbying, $70,000 on TV advertising and $50,000 on consulting fees.

Five jobs would be lost and the SWA would also have to eliminate its Talkin鈥� Trash program, which promotes recycling efforts in elementary schools. Talkin鈥� Trash accounts for about $100,000, budget figures show.

鈥淲e鈥檙e not going to cut these things just to spite, but if the money runs low these are the things we鈥檒l have to cut,鈥� said SWA executive director Danny Knight. 鈥淚t鈥檚 not a scare tactic. It鈥檚 something you have to think about and prepare for if it really happens.鈥�