By Jessica Holdman
BLYTHEWOOD — Federal regulators gave construction crews the nod to restart work at the site of Scout Motors’ $2 billion electric vehicle assembly plant that will eventually employ 4,000 South Carolinians in the Midlands.
The Volkswagen subsidiary, working through state and Richland County officials, paused ground work at the site in early September 2023 amid concerns from environmental groups as it waited for a permit from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers.
The Corps signed off late Friday on the electric vehicle manufacturer’s plan to make up for wetlands and streams impacted by the plant.
The factory, which could potentially double in size at a later date, is expected to affect more than 100 acres of wetlands and 7 miles of streams on the 1,100-acre property.
Environmental groups raised alarms that filling in wetlands and creeks across an area that size could lead to flooding downstream with the wetlands no longer available to soak up water and slow down runoff.
To make up for the loss of wetlands, Scout Motors will pay to protect 4,902 acres of wetlands near Congaree National Park and another 155 acres on the Broad River, known as Shelton Island. It will also pay to rebuild 19 miles of stream in Sumter National Forest.
Most of this work is taking place more than 30 miles away from the manufacturing plant.
“With this permit now in hand, we are excited to continue moving forward with our plans to construct a state-of-the-art facility in South Carolina, where we will reimagine the iconic Scout brand and hire thousands of South Carolinians to craft the next generation of all-electric trucks and rugged SUVs,” a Scout spokesman said in a statement.
“We will continue to provide regular updates and information to our local community around Blythewood as our operations progress.”
Jessica Holdman writes about the economy, workforce and higher education. Before joining the S.C. Daily Gazette, she was a business reporter for The Post and Courier.
