After weeks of outrage from local residents, all it took was one signature to bring the controversy surrounding a proposed coal ash dump in Pickens County to an end once and for all. Gov. Nikki Haley signed H. 4857, a bill requiring electric utility-generated coal ash to be disposed of in a Class III landfill, last Wednesday, putting an end to North Carolina-based MRR Pickens LLC’s attempts to establish a coal ash dump near Liberty. The bill, introduced in the State Senate by Sen. Larry Martin and the State House by Rep. Davey Hiott, received overwhelming support from state legislators. “Sen. Martin, Rep. Hiott and the other members of the Pickens Delegation are to be commended for getting this done,” Haley said. “It is absolutely essential that we protect our environment from out-of-state waste, and I’m proud to help bring these much-needed protections into law.” Martin said not only will the bill benefit Pickens County, but each of the state’s 46 counties. “It provides some important environmental protections for all of our citizens,” he said. Hiott called the bill “a team effort.” “This legislation is vitally important to Pickens County, South Carolina and for protecting our environment,” he said. Pictured, from left, are delegation members Rep. Neal Collins, Rep. Gary Clary, Hiott, Haley, Sen. Thomas Alexander and Martin.