S.C. Mining Council Meeting
The South Carolina Mining Council will meet at 10 a.m. Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at the S.C. Department of Environmental Services (SCDES), located at 2600 Bull Street, Columbia. The meeting will take place on the third floor in room No. 3420., AgendaCSXT Bramlett Road Site (aka Duke Power Manufactured Gas Plant)
Overview, The CSXT Bramlett Road Site (Site) consists of five parcels in Greenville, South Carolina, including the former location of a Duke Power Manufactured Gas Plant (MGP), which covers 3.69 acres and is located at 400 South Bramlett Road, and a seven-acre unpermitted construction and demolition debris landfill (a/k/a Vaughn Landfill) downgradient of the former MGP property. The current owner of the…, In 1917, Southern Public Utilities originally developed the manufactured gas plant. Ownership of the MGP transferred to Duke Power Company in 1939. The plant ceased operation in 1951 and the above-ground structures were demolished in the late 1950s. In 1997, Duke Power Company changed its name to Duke Energy Corporation, in September 2006, converted to Duke Power Company, LLC, and in October of…, Assessments, Duke conducted several investigations to assess the nature and extent of contamination at the Site. In 2002, Duke removed 61,000 tons of material from the former MGP property and replaced it with clean soil. Soil was excavated to a depth of three to six feet across the majority of the former MGP property., Voluntary Cleanup Contract, On July 29, 2016, Duke Energy Carolinas, LLC (Duke) entered into Voluntary Cleanup Contract 16-5857-RP (VCC) with DHEC. Under the VCC, Duke will conduct an environment investigation of the Site and will evaluate alternatives for addressing the remaining contamination. The Groundwater Remedial Investigation began in 2017. Following that initial investigation, it was determined that additional…, Historical Documents, Below are historical documents relating to the previous investigations of the Site. These documents include work plans, investigation activities, remedial action plans, and other key documents. If you are interested in documents that appear on the Index but are not listed below, please contact the Department., Date, Description, 2026-01-08 SCDES's Approval of Quarterly Progress Report 4th Quarter 2025 2026-01-08 Quarterly Progress Report 4th Quarter 2025 2025-10-14 SCDES's Approval of Quarterly Progress Report 3rd Quarter 2025 2025-10-02 Quarterly Progress Report 3rd Quarter 2025 2025-07-08 SCDES's Approval of Quarterly Progress Report 2nd Quarter 2025 2025-07-08 Quarterly Progress Report 2nd Quarter 2025 April 2025…, Mailing List, Anyone interested in receiving updates may contact Elisa Vincent at 803-898-0840 or via email Elisa.Vincent@des.sc.gov . If you have received information directly from DHEC, you are already on the Site's mailing list.Living Shorelines
Background, Over the years, South Carolina coastal property owners and other stakeholders have expressed an increased interest for options to naturally stabilize the shorelines within the estuarine environment. As a result, in 2016, SCDES (formerly DHEC) embarked on a five-year strategy to, develop a regulatory definition, and project standards for living shorelines in South Carolina. The goal of the strategy was to allow for a more efficient authorization process for living shorelines and to help ensure a project’s design would accomplish its intended goals. Living shoreline regulations were developed in accordance with the South Carolina Administrative Procedures Act (“APA”), S.C. Code Section 1-23-10 et seq.…, Summary of Living Shoreline Research to Inform Regulatory Decision-Making in South Carolina, , conducted by the, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources, and funded by the, National Estuarine Research Reserve System (NERRS) Science Collaborative, . This multi-year project involved monitoring existing living shoreline installations, as well as installing and monitoring new and existing technologies under a range of conditions in the estuarine environment. SCDES also established a South Carolina, Living Shorelines Working Group, to help inform development of regulations and project standards. The Working Group included representatives from federal, state, and local governments, as well as non-governmental organizations., What is a Living Shoreline?, Coir log living shoreline installation shown in Big Bay Creek, Edisto Island in July 2016. Same installation site shown again in September 2019. South Carolina, SCDES Coastal Division Regulations, define a living shoreline as a shoreline stabilization approach utilized in intertidal wetland environments that maintains, restores, and/or enhances natural estuarine processes through the strategic placement of native vegetation and/or use of green infrastructure as described in, South Carolina Code of Regulations R.30-12.Q, . Living shorelines promote wetland resiliency and water quality, and enhance the diverse intertidal habitat. Living shorelines, as defined above, are encouraged as an alternative to traditional hardened erosion control structures in estuarine environments because they provide an environmental benefit and reduce the environmental impacts associated with hardened structures. Living shoreline…, Wondering if your property may be suitable for a living shoreline?, Environmental conditions of a site will be considered in the evaluation of living shoreline applications including whether the type of living shoreline has demonstrated success. Demonstrated success can include an increase in the presence of native vegetation and/or oysters, and an increase in elevation on the landward side of the living shoreline installation. Some living shoreline projects will…, Summary of Living Shoreline Research to Inform Regulatory Decision-Making in South Carolina, . General resources are available to help homeowners assess conditions and plan for a living shoreline project. The following sites will help you get started., Clemson Extension, offers additional information regarding associated costs, selection of the right method of installation, how to measure success as well as information pertaining to training and educational opportunities., The Nature Conservancy’s SC Living Shoreline Explorer, application provides the user with a preliminary look at specific site conditions that are important to consider. For general inquiries concerning living shorelines, please contact Blair Williams, Critical Area Permitting Section Manager, at, Blair.Williams@des.sc.gov, ., Permitting Guidance, Living Shorelines Regulations and Permitting Process Guidance PDF Living shoreline installations will require an individual critical area permit from SCDES BCM. Professional drawings must be included with the permit application. For illustrative purposes, please see example drawings:, Example Living Shoreline Reef Project, . Staff are available to assist property owners with the process once you are ready to begin., Eligibility, To be eligible for a living shoreline, you must have a parcel or lot that is defined as waterfront property in, SC Code of Regulations 30-1.D(54), ., For purposes of these regulations, waterfront property will generally be defined as upland sites where a straight-line extension of both, generally shore perpendicular, upland property lines reaches a navigable watercourse within 1000' of the marsh critical line. Waterfront property may also be identified via an approved dock master plan where designated corridors differing from upland property…, Getting Started: Pre-Application Meeting, Create an ePermitting account or sign into ePermitting . Navigate to or create an ePermitting Site reflective of the address where the project will take place. Typically, Sites with any critical area permitting history exist within the system. Click the, Start a New Form, tab. Select, Service Request, . Type in, Pre-Application Meeting Request, . Alternatively, you can locate the SCDES BCM Critical Area Permitting project manager using the BCM Project Manager Finder App for assistance with access to existing Sites or instructions on how to set up a new Site. , Living Shoreline Project Standards, All living shoreline applications must demonstrate that they are designed and constructed in a manner that: does not restrict the reasonable navigation or public use of state lands and waters; has minimal effect on natural water movement and in no case prohibits water flow; does not prevent movement of aquatic organisms between the waterbody and the shore; maintains, restores, and/or enhances…, SC Code of Regulations 30-12.Q, Living Shorelines Training Program, In 2024, SCDES and partners released a Living Shorelines training course which highlights the benefits of living shorelines in South Carolina’s estuarine environment and teaches participants about living shoreline regulations and permitting, site assessments, installation materials and methods, and evaluating the performance of living shoreline installations. Participants hear from experts…, Resources, Clemson Extension, The Nature Conservancy’s SC Living Shoreline Explorer, NOAA Guidance for Considering the Use of Living Shorelines, Living Shorelines in the Southeast: Research and Data Gaps, Living Shorelines Strategic Needs Assessment, Living Shorelines from Barriers to OpportunitiesFacilities, Employees of Facilities
Forms, Register Facilities, Equipment, List of Registered Facilities, Safety Standards, Shielding Plan Requirements, Unannounced Inspections, Mammography, Hand-Held Devices, Regulatory Guides, Proper Disposal/Donation of X-Ray Equipment in South Carolina, Equipment Not Covered in RegulationsHurricane Helene Cleanup Grant
Streamflow and Lake Level Data
Links to real-time and historical streamflow, river stage, and lake level information., USGS Streamflow Data, The U.S. Geological Survey operates and maintains a network of nearly 200 real-time streamflow and lake-level gages across the State. All 26 new gages are expected to be operational by July 2020. Data from these sites are used to support drought assessments, flood and emergency response actions, recreational activities, hydrologic modeling, and water planning activities in the State., USGS Real-time Streamflow Data, Statewide Map of New Streamflow Conditions, Other Sources for Lake Level Information, New lake levels and other information for several South Carolina lakes are available at the following links or phone numbers., Lake Murray (Dominion Energy), Lake Murray Levels, 1-800-830-5253, Duke Energy Lakes, Bad Creek, Cedar Creek, Fishing Creek, Great Falls, Jocassee, Keowee, Wateree, Wylie, Duke Energy Lake Levels, 1-800-829-5253 This phone number does not provide actual water surface elevations; rather, it provides lake levels relative to the full pond level, which is assumed to be 100.0 feet. For example, if the level of Lake Wylie is given as 97.6 feet, the lake would be 2.4 feet below its level when full., Savannah River Lakes – Army Corps of Engineers, Hartwell, Russell, Thurmond, Savannah River Lake Levels, Santee Cooper Lakes, Marion, Moultrie, Lake Marion Levels, Lake Moultrie Levels, 1-800-925-2537, Lake Greenwood, Lake Greenwood Levels, Lake Blalock, Lake Blalock Levels, Lake Bowen, Lake Bowen LevelsSimplified Water Allocation Models (SWAM)
Direct download access to the Simplified Water Allocation Models is temporarily unavailable. The Surface Water Program maintains master copies of the Simplified Water Allocation Models. Use this page to download SWAM models for the Edisto, Broad, Pee Dee, Salkehatchie, Saluda, and Savannah River basins., Public Release, The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) is pleased to announce the public release of the Simplified Water Allocation Models (SWAM) for the, Broad, Edisto, Pee Dee, Salkehatchie, Saluda, and Savannah river basins, . These models are being made available via this FTP Site. At the site a folder is listed for each basin, and each folder includes the following files: Excel file, with extension .xlsm, containing the most recently updated SWAM Baseline Model. Initial South Carolina Surface Water Quantity Model Report for the basin. Supplemental Technical Memorandums, if any, regarding any updates or changes to…, Background, SCDES awarded a contract to CDM Smith, Inc. in August 2014 for the purpose of developing surface water quantity models using the SWAM modeling tool. The SWAM models are intended to support the development of regional water plans for each of the eight major river basins in the State. Information on the State’s water planning efforts can be found, on the SCDES website, and at, scwatermodels.com, ., System Requirements, Minimum system requirements for using the SWAM models include Microsoft Excel 2013 and a computer with 8 GB of RAM., Model Updates, SCDES has made tremendous efforts to ensure the accuracy of data included in the model but cannot guarantee that data inputs are error free. Models will be updated as necessary and a log describing any changes or updates to the model will be included in each basin’s subfolder. To ensure access to the most recent model, users are encouraged to access the model directly from this public site., Distribution, Each individual user should download his or her model(s) of interest directly through this public access site. The distribution of the models to other potential users is strongly discouraged., Notice and Disclaimer, The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services is providing free public access to the SWAM models and associated data. The SWAM models were developed for the purpose of providing general water availability information and are intended to support the development of regional water plans in each of the eight major river basins in the State. The model is not designed or intended to function…, Download Models, Direct download access to the Simplified Water Allocation Models is temporarily unavailable. Please contact Scott Harder (, scott.harder@des.sc.gov, ) for access., Contact Information, For any issues regarding the use of the models or to report potential data input errors, please contact Scott Harder (, scott.harder@des.sc.gov, ) or Leigh Ann Monroe (, leigh.monroe@des.sc.gov, ) with SCDES.It’s ‘Good to Know’: SCDES Launches Monthly Tips for Starting Small Habits that Support a Healthy Home and Environment
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Jan. 22, 2026 COLUMBIA, S.C. ― To help South Carolinians take small, daily actions that can lead to big, positive benefits for their family, home and community, the S.C. Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) is introducing a public education initiative called “Good to Know: Tips for a healthy home and environment.” “The daily decisions we make – such as how we shop…, said Myra Reece, SCDES director., “The ‘Good to Know’ initiative is designed to give residents convenient information on how to properly apply environmentally-sound practices at home or in their community.” Monthly topics will include: How to safely dispose of unwanted medications Understanding radon and how to test your home for it How to check the quality of your well water Actions you can take to reduce air pollution Be safe…, Reece said., “Together we can do the same for South Carolina.” To receive SCDES’s monthly “Good to Know” tips: Follow SCDES on social media @SouthCarolinaDES on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn and @SC_EnvServices on X (formerly Twitter) Sign-up to receive SCDES’s monthly eNews newsletter – click this link to subscribe: conta.cc/3FNUazE . Learn more and find an archive of monthly tips at des.sc.gov/…Air Permitting and Public Participation
View Public Notices , How Public Notice Process Works, When determined to be appropriate by SCDES (or specified by regulation), our Bureau of Air Quality (BAQ) will: Notify the public and other entities of the opportunity to review and comment. We will provide at least 30 days for public and EPA comment and will give notice of any public hearing at least 30 days in advance of the hearing. Public notice will be given by posting the notice on the SCDES…About Hydrology