The New-Indy paper and pulp plant in York County has been issued a $7,000 fine by the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SC DES) for multiple violations of state regulations as reported by WCNC.
The enforcement action, reported by SC DES in October 2025, stems from incidents tied back to March 2024. The core of the violation is that New-Indy failed to limit sulfur dioxide emissions, a finding based on an approved source test conducted in March 2024. Although SC DES noted the plant showed compliance one day after the test data was submitted, the prior failure resulted in the penalty.
Additionally, the plant was cited for ongoing documentation issues, specifically:
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Missing Inspection Forms: In March 2024, New-Indy informed regulators it could not locate forms used to document semiannual visual inspections for various pieces of on-site equipment.
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Failed Reporting: From July 2023 through December 2023, the company failed to document and report the required semiannual visual inspections.
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Late Submission: The plant also failed to submit a required data substitution plan at least 90 days before the start-up of affected sources. This plan was eventually filed in January 2025.
SC DES has mandated that New-Indy must take steps to ensure full compliance with all emissions limits, visual emission inspection and reporting requirements, and data substitution plan requirements moving forward.
This penalty follows a history of environmental issues at the plant. Emissions from the facility have been a concern for residents for several years due to a strong, persistent odor detected in 2021. In a separate legal matter, the company paid approximately $103 million in June 2024 to settle a class-action lawsuit brought by around 6,000 area residents over the air quality issues.
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