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Septic Tank Permits Now Available in ePermitting
DHEC is now offering an online option for Septic Tank permit applications through our ePermitting system. ePermitting streamlines the application process, allows you real-time access to your application status and associated permitting information, and provides 24-hour access to your account. For customers who are unable to access ePermitting, we will continue to accept traditional paper applications.
For training materials and more information, please visit our ePermitting Training Septic Tanks webpage.
Questions? Contact our customer service team at 1-855-731-2504 or by email at OSWWCentral@dhec.sc.gov.
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The 2021 Environmental Surveillance and Oversight Program (ESOP) Annual Report is now available on DHEC's website. ESOP is based out of the Midlands Aiken EA Office and performs non-regulatory environmental monitoring both on and around the Savannah River Site. The program studies levels of radioactive and non-radioactive materials present in the air, water, sediment, soil, vegetation, milk, fish, and game both on and around the site.
Learn more about ESOP's results, yearly dose, and project information in its 2021 Annual Report here.
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Office of Law Enforcement Year in Review
The Office of Criminal Investigations and the Shellfish Sanitation Program make up the Environmental Affairs Office of Law Enforcement. Our officers and investigators are certified by the South Carolina Criminal Justice Academy as Class 1 Police Officers commissioned by SLED with statewide jurisdiction to conduct investigations, carry firearms, make arrests and execute and serve search warrants to gather evidence of these crimes.
In 2022, the Office of Law Enforcement:
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Conducted 18 complex criminal investigations,
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Conducted 22 shellfish related illness investigations,
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Collected 5,568 water quality samples,
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Conducted 2,112 law enforcement patrols,
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Made 1,291 contacts with the public,
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Issued 74 tickets and 86 dealer permits,
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Answered 180 intra-agency calls for assistance,
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Conducted 132 facility inspections, and
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Attended 43 court hearings.
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Champions of the Environment Winners | |
DHEC's Champions of the Environment program is happy to announce the grant winners for the 2022-23 school year! Twenty South Carolina schools were chosen to receive grants that will support the education of the next generation of environmental stewards.
Champions of the Environment awards are issued each school year to foster environmental education and action in South Carolina’s classrooms, from kindergarten through 12th grade. Teachers apply for grant funding by outlining their educational project that focuses on pollution or waste reduction, water or energy efficiency, or preservation of natural areas. The grant program is sponsored by DHEC, Dominion Energy, and Sylvamo, with assistance from the Environmental Education Association of South Carolina.
Click here to see a full list of winners.
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Rhonda Thompson to Serve on Interagency Electric Vehicle Working Group
Rhonda Thompson, DHEC’s Air Quality Bureau Chief, was recently chosen to represent DHEC on the SC Department of Transportation’s (SCDOT) Interagency Electric Vehicle (EV) Working Group. The goal of this group is to develop a comprehensive plan regarding the strategic deployment of EV related resources and infrastructure in South Carolina.
A few of Rhonda's duties as a member of this group include helping prioritize the placement of passenger car EV charging equipment and collaborate with the Joint Committee on Electrification of Transportation.
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Radon Action Month
January is National Radon Action Month, and DHEC is encouraging South Carolinians to become familiar with the risks of radon when it’s present inside a home. Radon is a naturally occurring, invisible, odorless, tasteless gas that is dispersed in outdoor air, but radon can reach harmful levels when trapped inside a building. Radon can only be detected by performing a home test and, once found, radon problems can be fixed.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency estimates that radon is responsible for more than 20,000 lung cancer deaths per year nationally. Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the country after smoking, and the health risks from radon are greater for smokers.
The South Carolina Radon Program offers one free radon test kit per home that can be requested at www.scdhec.gov/radon.
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