WaterSC to Meet Dec. 12, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Dec. 10, 2024 COLUMBIA, S.C. – The WaterSC Water Resources Working Group will hold its next meeting on Thursday, Dec. 12, 2024, from 1 p.m.-4 p.m. at Brookland Banquet & Conference Center, 1066 Sunset Blvd., West Columbia., The meeting will be livestreamed by SCETV on, scetv.org, ., A copy of the agenda and additional information are available at des.sc.gov/WaterSC . On Sept. 24, 2024, Governor Henry McMaster issued Executive Order 2024-22 , establishing the WaterSC Water Resources Working Group (WaterSC), with the S.C. Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) serving as the lead agency of the initiative. WaterSC is working across state agencies and with key…S.C. Mining Council to Meet Dec. 12, 2024
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Dec. 10, 2024 COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Mining Council will meet at 1 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12, at the S.C. Department of Natural Resources - Geological Survey, 5 Geology Road, Columbia, S.C. The agenda is available here. ###South Carolina Mining Council Meeting
The South Carolina Mining Council will meet at 1 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 12, at the S.C. Department of Natural Resources - Geological Survey, 5 Geology Road, Columbia, S.C. AgendaDraft Pee Dee River Basin Plan Public Meeting
SCDES invites residents to attend an upcoming meeting that will introduce the draft Pee Dee River Basin Plan. Public input is an integral part of the development of the plan, which will help identify best management practices for ensuring the Pee Dee River basin has water resources available for all future users. This plan is the third of eight River Basin plans to be finalized over the next year…, South Carolina State Water Planning Framework, published in 2019., The public meeting is 6 p.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, at the Clemson Pee Dee Research and Education Center, 2200 Pocket Road, Darlington. A copy of the agenda is available, here., It serves as an opportunity for the Pee Dee River Basin Council to solicit residents’ input about the draft plan, which is available on the, Draft Pee Dee River Basin Plan webpage, . Public comments will be accepted from Jan. 14-Feb. 13, 2025.SCDES Encourages Residents to Reduce Food Waste and Recycle Right this Holiday Season
Household waste can increase by 25% from Thanksgiving to New Year’s, FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Dec. 13, 2024 COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) encourages residents to do their part to be good stewards of the environment this holiday season by making the effort to recycle materials and help reduce food waste. Celebrations this time of year tend to include packaging, decorations, and lots of holiday parties and meals…, said Richard Chesley, Section Manager with SCDES’s Office of Solid Waste Reduction & Recycling., “We encourage South Carolinians to consider using reusable bags or boxes for gift-giving instead of wrapping paper and to be conservative in how much food they purchase to prevent food waste during the holidays.” Luckily, recycling right this holiday season is easier than ever with the new Recycle Here SC mobile phone app that recently launched in South Carolina through a partnership between…, ,, and the South Carolina Beverage Association. The app, which is available for free, consolidates information for South Carolina residents on what, where, and how to recycle different items at different locations across the state. These important tips can help have the biggest impact with recycling: , Make sure to recycle right., Items placed in the recycling bin that can't be recycled in your local program are called “contamination.” If a load of recyclables has too much contamination, it gets thrown away instead of being recycled. Download the Recycle Here SC mobile phone app to get rid of the confusion about what to recycle. , Be mindful of hard-to-manage items., Some common items like lithium-ion batteries, electronics, and household hazardous waste can be recycled but should not go into your recycling bin. These items require special handling to make sure they don’t hurt people or the environment. For help with these items, visit SCDES's webpage about recycling hard-to-manage items or call 1-800-768-7348. For more info on safely handling and recycling…, Keep it clean., Make sure items you recycle are empty and relatively clean. No liquids, food or residue should go in your recycling bin. , Reducing and reusing support recycling., Recycling can be supported by reducing the amount of household waste that’s generated and by reusing or repurposing items. The Don’t Waste Food SC public education campaign, which is coordinated by SCDES, the S.C. Department of Commerce and many ambassadors around the state, provides helpful resources to prevent food waste. The campaign also encourages residents to donate perishable food and…, Meal planning., Only buying the amount of ingredients you need for each dish helps reduce food waste. , Do a head count., Knowing how many people to prepare food for helps reduce the amount of prepared but unneeded food. , Reusable containers for leftovers., Send your guests home with leftovers in a reusable container. This helps eliminate single-use materials like plastic wrap and keeps large quantities of food from going unused and spoiling in your fridge. , Composting., If you can’t donate or reuse your leftovers, another option is composting. Sending food waste to a composting facility or composting at home can improve soil health and structure, increase water retention, support native plants, ,, and reduce the need for fertilizers and pesticides. “We can all take steps to reduce the amount of household waste that’s created during the holiday season, and doing so can help bring us closer to achieving our goal of having 50% of the state’s municipal solid waste be recycled by 2030,”, Chesley said., “Proper recycling and food waste reduction also supports SCDES in its everyday mission of protecting and preserving our state’s air, land, water and coastal resources now and for future generations.” More information about local recycling programs, proper recycling tips, and food waste reduction efforts are all available at des.sc.gov/recycling. ###SCDES Announces Public Meeting to Introduce Draft Pee Dee River Basin Plan
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Dec. 16, 2024 COLUMBIA, S.C. — The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) invites residents to attend an upcoming meeting to review and provide comments about the draft Pee Dee River Basin Plan. Public input is an integral part of the development of the plan, which will help identify best management practices for ensuring the Pee Dee River basin has…, said Scott Harder, Hydrology Section Manager with SCDES’s Bureau of Water., “With the draft plan complete, we’re ready to present it to the public so we can begin receiving comments that will be reviewed and considered as the plan is finalized.” The public meeting is, 6 p.m.-8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025, at the Clemson Pee Dee Research and Education Center, 2200 Pocket Road, Darlington., It serves as an opportunity for the Pee Dee River Basin Council to solicit residents’ input about the draft plan, which is available online at des.sc.gov/hydrology . Public comments will be accepted from Jan. 14-Feb. 13, 2025. “Public involvement is critical to the goal of ensuring that future generations of South Carolinians have secure, well-managed supplies of our most critical natural…, Harder said., Learn more about water planning in South Carolina and the South Carolina State Water Planning Framework and river basin planning process at des.sc.gov/hydrology. ###Recycle Here SC App
Public Asked to Provide Input on Water Resource Planning at WaterSC Listening Session
COLUMBIA, S.C. – Residents are invited to attend an upcoming WaterSC listening session to provide input about protecting and managing the state's natural water resources. Public engagement is critical to WaterSC, which is charged with developing a water resources policy and plan that balances South Carolina's economic and environmental interests to ensure the long-term protection of the state’s…, The listening session will take place on Tuesday, Jan. 7, at the Phillips Market Center, located at 117 Ballard Court in West Columbia. An open house will begin at 4 p.m. during which attendees can learn more about water planning in the state, and a public comment portion will begin at 6 p.m., "Our hope is for residents to take the opportunity to attend this listening session and engage with our water planning experts to learn more about the goals of WaterSC and how multiple sectors are coming together to ensure our state's water resources are protected and properly managed for generations to come,", said Myra Reece, SCDES Interim Director., "Water is a shared resource that's invaluable in many different ways, which is why we want South Carolinians to be an active partner in water planning in our state." Additional listening sessions are planned in the spring at locations around the state. Recordings of previous meetings of the WaterSC Water Resources Working Group and a schedule of upcoming meetings are available at des.sc.gov/…SCDES Launches New Coastal Atlas to Provide Valuable Information about SC’s Coastal Environment
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Jan. 6, 2025 COLUMBIA, S.C. — Today, the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services’s Bureau of Coastal Management (BCM) launched a new public resource providing valuable information about South Carolina’s coastal environment. The new South Carolina Coastal Atlas is an ArcGIS StoryMap designed to provide graphics, imagery and information about the history, data,…, said Chris Stout, Chief of SCDES’s Bureau of Coastal Management., “This new tool also provides a historical overview of how the state’s coastal environment has been protected over the years.” Users of the new South Carolina Coastal Atlas can navigate major milestones along the Coastal Management Program’s historical timeline, from the 1973 inception of the Coastal Zone Planning and Management Council, through state government restructuring over the decades, to…SCDES Offers Free Radon Test Kits, Reminds Residents of Radon Dangers during National Radon Action Month
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Jan. 9, 2025 COLUMBIA, S.C. — January is National Radon Action Month, and the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) encourages South Carolinians to become familiar with the risks of radon presence inside a home. Radon is the second-leading cause of lung cancer in the United States after smoking, and the health risks from radon are even greater for…, said Rhonda Thompson, Chief of SCDES’s Bureau of Air Quality. , “Two homes right next to each other can have different radon levels, and the only way to know if a home has high radon levels is to test for it.” While radon can only be detected by performing a home test, it can be mitigated if found. “South Carolina has nationally certified radon contractors who can measure radon and install solutions to reduce elevated radon levels,” , said Olivia Burgher, Environmental Health Manager with SCDES’s Radon Program. , “SCDES provides links to lists of credentialed radon professionals, guidance for choosing a radon contractor, and other resources about radon mitigation on our website.” Additionally, the South Carolina Radon Program offers one free radon test kit per home that can be requested at des.sc.gov/radon, while supplies last. Radon test kits also can be purchased from the National Radon Program (…