Иск на 7 млн долларов против Liberty Steel отозван после достижения соглашения

Lawsuit against Liberty Steel in Georgetown dismissed after settlement GEORGETOWN, S.C. (WPDE) — A $7 million lawsuit filed against Liberty Steel Georgetown Inc. has been dismissed following a settlement. Santee Cooper filed the lawsuit, alleging the mill operator failed to fulfill an electricity service agreement. According to the complaint, Liberty Steel entered into a large power electric service agreement with Santee Cooper on May 1, 2023. The agreement required Santee Cooper to provide electricity to the mill for five years, with payments due monthly. The lawsuit alleged Liberty Steel failed to pay service charges in November and December 2024, totaling $334,233.06. In a Jan. 2025 letter, Santee Cooper notified Liberty Steel that the agreement had been terminated and demanded payment of the outstanding balance. Santee Cooper said the overdue balance remained unpaid and that requests to resolve the issue had gone unanswered. PREVIOUS COVERAGE: Liberty Steel in Georgetown faces $7 million lawsuit over unpaid power bills The lawsuit also claimed Liberty Steel owed $6,628,482 for the remainder of the contract because the mill had ceased operations. Combined with the unpaid balance, the amount sought totaled more than $7 million. "If payment is not received, your service will be disconnected on the date stated above, and the minimum billed amount will be immediately due," utility officials wrote in the Jan. 2025 letter. "While this is not how the Authority prefers to handle such situations, the lack of attention to this matter from Liberty Steel has required that the Authority take this enforceable, contractual position." Liberty Steel USA officials previously said they intended to resolve the payment issue without going to court. “We are confident the matter can be resolved through negotiation,” officials said. Mill officials announced in Oct. 2024 that Liberty Steel Georgetown was being idled because of “market conditions.” City officials have said that under current zoning laws, if the mill remains idle for 365 days from Oct. 11 2024, industrial operations along Front Street property could be permanently prohibited.