Some permits can take up to a year to receive.

• Complete our Project Questionnaire as soon as you begin to think about a project. It can help identify which permits, approvals, licenses, certifications, and/or registrations you may need.
• Become familiar with permit timelines. This will help you better plan for when you can realistically start construction.
• Consult with SCDES and any other permit agencies involved early in the planning stage to avoid costly, time-consuming mistakes.

You may wish to talk to community members to hear their concerns and views of your proposed business. Some common community concerns are increased traffic, odors, noise, late-night activities, or chemical hazards that may be associated with your business. Amending your business plan and permit application to address these concerns can go a long way toward good community relations and may prevent an appeal of a permit decision.

Today's laws require businesses to compensate for negative impacts to the environment through a process called mitigation.

• By avoiding or minimizing impacts you may reduce the number of permits required.
• If your project must impact a sensitive area, plan ahead for mitigation. An environmental consultant can help you determine what areas require mitigation and how much is needed.

Once you have a plan and have compiled planning lists, request a pre-application meeting with SCDES staff. A lot of time and effort can be saved by discussing our mutual needs before you fill out any forms. Pre-application meetings give you an opportunity to:

• Explain your project and get feedback from SCDES permitting staff before you submit your application.
• Understand permitting requirements and avoid mistakes.

Ask for courtesy reviews of drafts, if staff has time to provide this service, and request that you be notified early of any issues of concern. Familiarize yourself with the regulations that pertain to your business, and periodically check the status of your application.

• Promptly respond to agency information requests to keep the process moving.
• If SCDES (or another agency) asks you to consider making changes to the project to reduce the environmental impact, be open-minded. The requested changes may reduce the need for complicated (and typically, expensive) mitigation.

Before submitting your application, check to be sure it has all the required documents attached. SCDES can't start a review of your application until it is complete.

• Be sure that the documents agree with each other in their project descriptions. For example, list the same project size and the same location of project elements on each document.
• Consider hiring an environmental consultant to help you. While it may seem expensive to hire a good consultant to prepare reports and permit applications, it can save you time and money in the long run.
• Last but not least, make sure to sign your application! We will return unsigned applications to you.

For example, choose sites that are:

• Zoned correctly for the project.
• Vested with enough water rights to provide for full build-out.
• Supported by utilities, transportation infrastructure, and emergency services.

Sites that are culturally, historically, or archeologically important, or have sensitive habitat areas, often have legal protections.

Become familiar with local land use priorities (trails, public access, and green space, for example). Incorporating some of these elements into your design will help your town or city achieve its planning goals and may boost community support for your project.

Make a List to Help Us Help You

Before you meet with our staff, write out responses to as many of the following questions as you can and bring the list of answers with you to the meeting. Pulling this information together ahead of time will help you get the most out of the meeting and speed up the permitting process.

When you meet with us, bring along your consultant if you've hired one. A consultant can help you pull together the info you'll need to provide.

Write down:

•  The county (or counties) where your business or activity will be located
•  A list of equipment you will use in your business, along with manufacturer specs for the equipment.
•  A description of your work processes and process diagrams if you have them
•  A list of the raw materials (including feedstock, if agricultural) you will use in your business/activity.

Wastewater

•  Will you discharge domestic wastewater (from sinks, toilets, showers/baths, laundry) by tying into a public utility, building a septic tank, or discharging the waste to a body of water such as a stream or lake?
•  If your business will be discharging industrial wastewater, which will you depend on?
•  Public utility
•  Stream, lake, or other body of water
•  Sprayfield, land application, or other method.
•  About how many gallons of industrial wastewater will your business/activity discharge per month?
•  Do you plan to treat the wastewater prior to discharge?
•  What contaminants will be in your industrial wastewater?
•  What is your source of drinking water?
•  Public utility
•  Well
•  Lakes, rivers, streams, or other body of water
•  What will be the source of the water you will use in your business/activity operations?
•  Public utility
•  Well (how much in gallons per month?)
•  Surface water (how much in gallons per month?)
•  Are there any wetlands on your property?
•  Do you know your Standard Industrial Classification (SIC) code?

Air Pollution

•  What fuels or other materials will you be burning?

If your business activity will create air pollution (air emissions), about how many tons per year of the following will you generate:

• Criteria air pollutants
• Hazardous air pollutants

Waste

•  What types of wastes will you generate?

• Permits & Regulations