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
Industry Notebook: Quarry Operations
Quarry Information, Air Permits Mining Permits Water Permits, Industry Notebook: Quarry Operations, What is a Quarry?, A quarry is an open-pit mining process designed specifically for the removal of large deposits of rock. Quarries can be found all over the world and most are located where a particular type of rock - such as granite, marble, limestone, slate, or gypsum - occurs near the earth's surface. Quarries produce crushed stone, sand and gravel for use in the construction of residential and commercial…, How Modern Quarries Remove Rock, Drilling and blasting are methods used to remove rock from the earth. Blasts are carefully designed to free rock using the least amount of explosive possible. First, holes are drilled into the rock following a predetermined pattern. Then, explosives are placed at the bottom of each hole and covered. Each hole is detonated separately within milliseconds of one another in order to control the…, Loading and Hauling Rock from the Pit, The hole that is formed in the earth once the rock is removed becomes the quarry or pit. Large haul trucks are loaded with the freed rock and transport it to the processing plant to be crushed and divided into different sizes., Breaking, Separating and Transporting Rock through the Plant, A primary crusher reduces the size of the blasted rock. The rock may then be further reduced in size by secondary crushers. Once crushing is complete, screens are used to separate the rock into specific sizes. Rock may be crushed and screened several times before being put in a stockpile with other rocks of the same size. Conveyor belts are used throughout this process to move the rock., Dust and Water, Mining and moving rock around a processing plant can create fine particles of dust. Dust is typically controlled by using water spray, as needed, on the quarry road and in the mining process. Water (process water and rainwater) is typically recycled in a closed loop water system. Recycled water is stored in a pond where the sediment is allowed to accumulate. Under certain circumstances, some…, Storing Rock, Rock is stored in stockpiles based on size. Stockpiles are kept a safe distance away from stormwater flows, drainage courses and inlets. Practices to control erosion of the stockpile by the wind are used as appropriate., Weighing Rocks and Trucks, Rock is sold by the ton. Trucks arriving at the quarry are weighed before and after loading. The weight of the empty truck is subtracted from the weight of the full truck to determine how much the load weighs., Who regulates quarry operations?, Agencies with regulatory oversight of quarries ensure compliance with federal and state environmental, health and safety standards. The United States Department of Labor - Mine Safety and Health Administration (MSHA) administers the Federal Mine Safety and Health Act to ensure compliance with mandatory safety and health standards for mine employees. The South Carolina Fire Marshal's Office…, How are quarry operations regulated?, Permits are issued to regulate quarry operations. A permit is a legal document that details how a facility will comply with state and federal environmental regulations. Multiple permits may be needed and generally include measures for environmental protection and public safety, restoring disturbed areas, emission/discharge limitations, work-practice standards, record-keeping, monitoring and…, Disclaimer: This webpage was developed by the S.C. Department of Environmental Services to provide the public with a broad overview of quarry industrial operations., This overview is not intended to cover all operations at a quarry and is not an enhancement of nor a substitute for applicable Federal and South Carolina laws and regulations.Proposed Concrete Operating General Permit and Concrete Construction General Permit Renewals Public Meeting and Public Hearing
The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services – Bureau of Air Quality (BAQ), will hold a virtual public meeting and formal public hearing regarding the proposed Concrete Operating General Permit and the Concrete Construction General Permit Renewals. , The virtual public meeting will begin at 6:00 PM and is intended to: Provide an overview of the proposed Concrete General Construction Permit and the General Concrete Operating Permit renewals Explain the Department’s regulatory authority Answer general questions from the public A formal public hearing will follow at 7:00 PM and will be conducted by a designated hearing officer. The purpose of…, Public Participation & Accessibility, Individuals with disabilities or special needs who wish to participate in the virtual meeting or hearing, or who would like to review Department files related to this permit, should contact Monica Taylor at (803) 898-7678 or Monica.Taylor@des.sc.gov no later than two (2) weeks before the hearing date to arrange any necessary accommodations or services. , Public Comment Period, The public comment period for the proposed Concrete General Permit Renewals will remain open until the close of business on March 03, 2026. Please complete the public hearing registration form by February 26, 2026, if you plan to participate in the virtual public meeting and public hearing., Links to Public Notice/ Submit Written Comments, Written comments on the proposed Concrete General Permit Renewal will be accepted until March 03, 2026. Comments can be submitted: Online through ePermitting General Construction Permit General Operating Permit By postal mail to Bureau of Air Quality, Air Permitting Division Director, 2600 Bull Street, SC 29201 By email to AirPNComments@des.sc.govAdopt-a-Stream Frequently Asked Questions
Telfair Community Meeting
The SC Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) will be hosting a, Community Meeting at 6:00 pm on Monday, January 26, 2026 at Coosa Elementary School, 45 Middle Rd, Beaufort, SC 29907, . This meeting will share information from our SCDES team about our ongoing odor investigation and response in the Telfair, Royal Pines and surrounding areas and will also include time for questions from the community. Staff from Coastal Waste & Recycling, LLC, have also been invited and are planning to attend to be able to address questions from community members. Visit the, Telfair Community webpage, for weekly updates and reports.Quarries - Air Permits
Quarries - Air Permits, See an interactive map of quarries., Under the Clean Air Act (CAA) , the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) sets limits on the concentration of pollutants in the ambient air (the air we breathe. The CAA also gives the EPA the authority to limit pollutant emissions given off from specific industrial sources like chemical plants, utilities and steel mills. Individual states or tribes may have more stringent air pollution…How the SRF Program Works
The Typical SRF Process, Note: Not all projects (especially Engineering-Services-Only and Study-Only projects) follow this "typical" process. Consult your Project Manager or one of the contacts below for information on the process of your project., Questions?, Contact us anytime before, during, or after the SRF loan process., Step 1: Submitting a Project Questionnaire (PQ), The applicant (sponsor) must submit a, CWSRF Project Questionnaire, (for wastewater projects) or a, DWSRF Project Questionnaire, (for drinking water projects) to, SRF-Info@des.sc.gov, . To be sure your project is fundable, you may want to , contact us, before submitting a PQ., Step 2: SRF Publishes Intended Use Plans (IUPs), All eligible projects will be ranked in accordance with the Integrated Priority Ranking System and placed on the State's Comprehensive Priority List. Every year, SCDES will develop IUPs that identify projects that are ready to proceed and expected to receive loans for the upcoming fiscal year (July 1- June 30). , Step 3: Preliminary Engineering Report & Environmental Review, The next step in the permitting process is submittal of a PER. Regardless of permitting requirements, all projects in which SRF is funding construction, must submit a PER. Please refer to either the, DWSRF PER Guidance Document, or the , CWSRF PER Guidance Document, ., Before the PER can be approved, SCDES will either issue a finding of No Significant Impact (FNSI) that includes a 30-day public notice period or SCDES will issue a Categorical Exclusion (CE) for the project., Step 4: Plans and Specifications, Once the PER has received approval, plans and specifications and, in many cases, a, construction permit application, must be submitted. After the project has been reviewed and all requirements have been met, a construction permit or letter of approval will be issued for the project. Once plans and specs have been finalized, the sponsor should work with the, Rural Infrastructure Authority, on completing the loan application. , Step 5: Bidding, Once you are ready to advertise for bids, please refer to our guidance documents:, Guide to Bidding and Award of Construction Contracts - Equivalency, Guide to Bidding and Award of Construction Contracts - General, Other methods of bidding guidance documents can be found on our, Guidance, page. , Step 6: Construction, Once you are ready to begin construction, there are several things to keep in mind: SRF Staff must attend the preconstruction conference. This allows staff to share important information on managing an SRF project. Federal requirements will apply to the project. Refer to the following guides for more detailed information:, Guide to Federal Requirements - Equivalency, Guide to Federal Requirements - General, The, Construction Contracts Guidance Package, provides information on the preconstruction conference and disbursement information., Step 7: Disbursement of Funds, Disbursements will only be made against incurred, actual eligible costs of the project, not to exceed the amount specified for each cost category prescribed in the Project Budget (found in the Loan Assistance Agreement.) , Disbursement Package for Loan Projects, Disbursement Package for APF Projects, SRF Timeline To be sure everything runs smoothly, please refer to the following contacts:, SCDES's SRF Team, Email for any general questions related to the SRF process., Trish Comp, (803) 737-3808, Rural Infrastructure Authority (RIA) contact for any financial questions related to SRF process., Mark Noble, , (803) 898-3821, Any questions related to SRF draw requests for Principal Forgiveness., Theandra Boyd, , (803) 898-3499, Any questions related to SRF draw requests for Loans.ePermitting System Maintenance
ePermitting is currently, unavailable for maintenance,, beginning at, 5:00 PM ET on Wednesday, January 28, 2026, . The system will be available again on, Wednesday, January 28, 2026 at 8:00 PM ET, . If you are here to, submit a permit application or file a complaint, , please hold your submission until the system is restored. For, public notice information, , please visit our classic Public Notices webpage. To, report chemical releases, oil spills, or fish kills, , contact the, 24-hour SCDES response line, at, 888-481-0125, . We appreciate your patience as we modernize our systems in support of, Science, Service, and Sustainability, .Tier II
The Emergency Planning & Community Right-to-Know Act (EPCRA) requires facilities storing any substance for which a material safety data sheet (MSDS) is required by OSHA and in quantities exceeding the Threshold Planning Quantity (specified for Extremely Hazardous Substance or 10,000 pounds for all other substances) to report these substances to the state, Local Emergency Planning Committees (…, sign up for an account in E-Plan, and authorize a user to have access to the system. Facilities can enter information directly into E-Plan or import the Tier II Submit files into the system. We no longer accept other reporting methods. E-Plan has online training on, their website, . The E-Plan's online Tier2 Reporting System will not allow facilities to submit their Tier II data until the Submission Validation Report indicates all required fields are correct and the Upload Data to E-Plan has been pressed. The system will send an email message to the reporting facility stating their submittal was received, after their Tier II data is submitted. The facility should print…, What if I don't receive an email?, Please note: The state doesn't charge Tier II reporting fees. Facilities should contact their County LEPC and local fire department for fees and specific reporting requirements for Tier II reporting. Section 302, Extremely Hazardous Substance Notification is a one-time reporting requirement. Verify that you are using the, latest list of Extremely Hazardous Substances and the Threshold Planning Quantities, . There is no form for this reporting. A letter describing the product and an on-site emergency contact is sufficient. For questions regarding EPCRA and Tier II reporting requirements, please contact Jim Martin at, 803-896-4116, or, epcra@des.sc.gov, .