(BLYTHEWOOD, SC) — It is easy to point fingers at Scout Motors. But with allegations of blasting damage now part of a lawsuit involving longtime Blythewood residents William and Barbara Shives, perhaps it is time to start asking questions about the companies actually handling the explosives.
After all, somebody is doing the blasting. And Blythewood residents deserve to know who.
The Shives allege that blasting and other construction activities damaged their property, disrupted their septic system and ultimately forced them from their home of more than 40 years.
Their lawsuit against Scout Motors and Richland County has raised serious questions about construction activities near residential properties. Those allegations remain unresolved, but the questions surrounding the contractors involved deserve attention now, not simply when the lawsuit concludes.
Three Companies, But Who Is Responsible?
In an October 2 court filing, Scout Motors denied responsibility for the alleged damages and identified three contractors as third-party defendants: Evans General Contractors LLC, Strack and Elevate Drilling & Blasting LLC.
According to reporting by The State, Evans oversaw certain construction activities, while Strack and Elevate were involved in and oversaw blasting operations.
These companies perform different functions. Evans is a general contractor, Strack specializes in heavy civil construction, and Elevate specializes in drilling and blasting.
However, the precise contractual relationships, who employed the blasting crews and who directly supervised the detonations have not been established publicly.
Those are not minor details.
Scout has responded through the courts, identified the contractors and presented its legal position. The companies involved should now explain their respective responsibilities.
The State reported that none of the three contractors responded to its requests for comment before publication on October 6. Whether they have subsequently responded publicly or filed answers in court requires further verification.
But there is a much larger concern here than unanswered questions in one lawsuit.
Who Is Watching the Blasting Companies?
Blasting permits in South Carolina are issued by the Office of State Fire Marshal. State law also gives that office authority to investigate violations and suspend or revoke permits when legally justified.
Regulations require detailed blasting records, including the company conducting the work, the licensed blaster, explosives used, distance from nearby structures and applicable seismic monitoring information.
So where are those records?
Who held the blasting permits at the Scout site? Are any permits still active? Have complaints been filed with state regulators? Were those complaints investigated? And did monitoring show compliance with safety requirements?
These questions should be answered publicly to the extent permitted by law.
If an investigation identifies unsafe practices or permit violations, state regulators should take appropriate enforcement action, including suspension where warranted.
The protection of neighboring homeowners cannot depend solely on whether someone files a lawsuit.
Blythewood Is Growing. Oversight Must Grow With It.
Look around Blythewood. Construction is happening across the community, with additional industrial, commercial and residential developments planned.
That makes this issue bigger than one construction site.
Could the same blasting contractor be working on another project in Blythewood? Are additional blasting permits being issued? How are residents notified when explosives will be used near their properties?
We do not yet know whether these contractors are conducting blasting elsewhere in the area. That is precisely why the question should be asked.
Blythewood Town Council and Richland County Council need to take a more active role in obtaining answers.
While neither council directly controls state blasting permits, both can request regulatory reviews, seek public records, invite state officials and contractors to public meetings, and establish clearer channels for residents to report concerns.
Richland County, which owns the Scout site, has additional reasons to seek a full accounting of the work being performed there.
Town and county officials should work together to identify active blasting permits throughout the Blythewood area, determine whether additional blasting is planned and request a review of any documented safety complaints.
If questionable practices are discovered, they should formally request that the State Fire Marshal consider appropriate enforcement action.
That is not interfering with the judicial process. It is addressing public safety.
The Shives deserve a fair hearing, and the companies involved deserve an opportunity to respond. But the rest of Blythewood deserves answers before another family finds itself in a similar situation.
Simply calling everything Scout’s responsibility does not tell us who is handling the explosives, who is supervising the work or who is ensuring that the public is protected.
Blythewood’s growth brings opportunity, but it also brings responsibility.
The town and county councils should not wait for the courts to settle a property dispute before addressing the broader questions of construction safety and oversight.
Today, it is the Shives family asking questions about what’s happening near their home.
Tomorrow, it could be your family.
And by then, we should already know who’s doing the blasting.
