Shining a Light on South Carolina’s Environmental Champions At the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES), we know that protecting our state’s natural resources, air, land, water and coasts is a team effort. Every day, individuals, businesses and organizations across South Carolina take meaningful action to build healthier, more sustainable communities. That’s why we’re proud…, 2026 SCDES Community Star Award, , an official recognition program celebrating those who go above and beyond in environmental stewardship. Introducing the 2026 Community Star We are honored to announce the 2026 recipient of the SCDES Community Star Award:, Charles Wingard, . Charles Wingard serves as Vice President of Field Operations at, Walter P. Rawl & Sons, Inc., in Pelion, South Carolina. A Clemson University graduate with a degree in Agricultural Economics, Charles has dedicated his career to his family’s agricultural business since 1987. In addition to his leadership in agriculture, Charles is a participant in, WaterSC, , a statewide water resources working group established to bring together leaders from key sectors, including agriculture, industry, conservation and academia, to support collaborative water planning and long-term resource stewardship in South Carolina. In his role, he oversees approximately 8,000 acres of vegetable production across South Carolina, Florida, Pennsylvania and Michigan. His work…
A, Critical Area Line (CAL), is the boundary between the upland and the Tidelands/ Coastal Waters critical area, and any activities seaward of the CAL may require a critical area permit. CALs are determined by SCDES BCM staff upon request and may be valid for up to 5 years from the date the CAL is certified by SCDES BCM staff. SCDES requires a current, Department-certified CAL for the following activities: Erosion control…, Submitting a Critical Area Line Request, Please visit ePermitting to submit a CAL request using the , BCM Critical Area Activities, application form. An ePermitting account will be necessary to apply for all critical area activities, including CALs. The applicant will need to find an existing site in ePermitting, or create a new site for the parcel, to access the , BCM Critical Area Activities, application form. The applicant will have the ability to request a CAL independently or request a CAL in conjunction with another BCM activity, such as an erosion control structure., There is no administrative fee for a critical area line request., The application requires the following information The applicant MUST be the property owner. If the applicant has an authorized agent, enter the authorized agent information under the “Additional Contacts” section of the form. Purpose for the CAL request. Any gate codes for accessing the Site. Representative photographs of flagging (if flagging completed by a survey company). In order for SCDES…, The northings and eastings must be shown on a point table on the survey. Additionally, submission of a CAD file or Esri shapefile is strongly suggested., Contact, SCDES BCM staff are available to assist property owners. If you suspect authorization may be required for your activity, or if you have questions related to authorization requirements, please contact SCDES BCM’s Critical Area Permitting Section at (843) 953-0200 , or visit the Project Manager Finder Application to find contact information for project managers by geographic area.
The Septic Tank program utilizes our online system called ePermitting; which is designed to support the full regulatory lifecycle while allowing our external customers to do business with us through the same platform. ePermitting will allow you to submit applications, self- inspection forms, and all pertinent documentation online in one portal. It will also allow you to access your account at any…, Apply Online for a Septic Tank Permit , If you need assistance submitting your application call , 1-855-731-2504, or email at , OSWWCentral@des.sc.gov, . , Training Videos
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 1, 2026 GREENWOOD COUNTY, S.C. — State and local authorities continue to work together to investigate the recent fish kill in areas of Lake Greenwood in Greenwood County. The S.C. Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) and S.C. Department of Natural Resources (SCDNR) continue to perform assessments of Lake Greenwood; both agencies had staff assessing the lake by…
Air Guidance & Permitting Tools, Our emission calculators provide sector industry specific assistance in calculating emissions estimates from common air pollutants, such as VOC's, PM, PM10. These calculated emissions help determine what type of air permit is needed. Listed below are various industrial category calculators to help determine your emissions. Also provided are compliance assistance tools, such as reporting and…, General Guidance, Processing an Air Permit (pdf) Flow diagram outlining the permitting process. Simplifying the Air Permitting Process – About the Public Notice Process (pdf) Basic overview of the public notice process. Portable Equipment (pdf) Guidance on portable/transportable process equipment for non-PSD sources. Process Weight Rate Determination (pdf) Guidance for Standard 4, Section VIII- PM Emissions…, General Calculators and Reporting Tools, 12 Month Rolling Sum Calculator (xlsx): Record Keeping/Reporting Tool for calculating 12-month rolling sum. Fuel Combustion Calculator (xlsx): This spreadsheet calculates Criteria Pollutant emissions from combustion sources using emission factors. VOC and HAP Calculator (xlsx): This spreadsheet calculates VOC and HAP emissions using a material balance. Fuel Combustion Record and Reporting…, Exemption Guidance, Exemption List (pdf) List of construction permitting exemptions. PSD Like for Like Replacement (pdf) Guidance Document; Like-for-Like replacement of equipment and control device(s) at Prevention of Significant Deterioration (PSD) Major Sources. Non-PSD Like for Like Replacement (pdf) Guidance Document; Like-for-Like replacement of equipment and control device(s) at Non-Prevention of Significant…, Exemption Equipment List Example, Exempt Equipment List (xlsx) This spreadsheet can be used onsite to maintain your list of exempt equipment as required by your permit. This spreadsheet can also be uploaded into the OSIL submission in ePermitting, if the following criteria is adhered to: The file name must remain unchanged, "Exempt Equipment List" The name and order of the columns must remain unchanged Additional information can…, On-Site Implementation Log (OSIL), OSIL Fact Sheet Simplifying the Air Permitting Process - OSIL (Booklet), OSIL Example, On-site Implementation Log (OSIL) Template (xlsx), Relocation Guidance, Relocation Guidance (pdf) Guidance Document; Relocation of equipment, control device(s) or entire facilities. Relocation of Asphalt Plants (pdf) Relocation Guidance for Nonmetallic Mineral Processing Plants (pdf), Construction Permit Guidance, Air Permit Application Checklist (pdf) this checklist is to assist applicants and consultants in submitting an air permitting construction permit application. Air Pre-Application Meeting Checklist (pdf) This checklist will assist applicants and consultants in preparation for an air permitting pre-application meeting. Construction Permit Emission Threshold & Permitting Table (pdf) Table of…, Expedited Memos, Expedited Review Program Memo (pdf) Expedited PSD - Modifications Fee Memo (pdf), Title V Guidance, Title V Insignificant Activities List (pdf) Streamlining PM Source Testing for Requirements Contained in Standard No. 1 (pdf) Streamlining Multiple Applicable Requirements on the same Emissions Unit (pdf), Asphalt Plants Guidance, Asphalt Emission Estimator (xlsx): This spreadsheet helps calculate a facility's potential to emit for asphalt plants. Asphalt Production, Source Testing Guidance (pdf) Tear-Off Asphalt Roofing Shingle Usage, Permitting/Asbestos Testing Protocol (pdf), Concrete Plants Guidance, Concrete Batching Emission Estimator (xlsx): This spreadsheet helps calculate a facility's potential to emit for concrete plants. Concrete Admixture Storage Tanks (pdf) Concrete Recordkeeping Tool (docx) Concrete Exemption and OSIL Log (docx) Concrete 12 Month Rolling Sum Calculator (xlsx), Wood Working Guidance, Wood Working Application Flowchart (pdf) Wood Working Exemption Determination (pdf) Wood Working Emission Estimator - Combustion (xls): Calculates PM, PM10, PM2.5, VOC and NOX emissions from combustion sources using AP-42 emission factors. Wood Working Emissions Estimator - Surface Finishing (xls): Calculates PM, PM10, PM2.5, VOC and HAP emissions from paints, solvents, glues, etc. using a…
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: May 4, 2026 COLUMBIA, S.C. – Today the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) announces the availability of grant funding aimed at reducing diesel emissions and improving air quality throughout the state. Diesel emissions make up a significant portion of the mobile source air pollution in South Carolina. The DERA grant from Federal Fiscal Year (FFY)…
What is Industrial Stormwater? Any stormwater (rain, flood waters, etc.) which comes into contact with materials or equipment used in, or produced from, industrial activities before leaving the industrial site is considered industrial stormwater. Any industrial facility which meets these criteria are subject to State and Federal regulations to maintain water quality by monitoring and managing…, Primary SIC Code and Narrative Activities, Generally, the first step to determine permit eligibility is to determine your site’s primary SIC code. A facility’s SIC code(s) can be found on federal tax forms for the industrial facility. The federal forms which typically contain the SIC code(s) are the Schedule C or C-EZ, Form 1065, Form 1120, or Form 1120-S. Other locations to locate your SIC code are local business licenses, other…, Narrative Activities, If your facility has one of the narrative activities defined by Category i ., you must apply for permit coverage regardless of facility primary SIC code. See below for an inclusive list of narrative activities: Discharges resulting from spray down or intentional wetting of logs at wet deck storage areas Runoff from phosphate fertilizer manufacturing facilities that comes into contact with any…, Non-Regulated Activities, The following activities are either not authorized to discharge, not eligible for coverage, or not required to seek coverage under the IGP. Wastewater discharges or stormwater discharges comingled with wastewater from industrial sites are not considered stormwater discharges and require a separate NPDES permit. Activities defined in category iii. and designated Sector J: Non-metallic Mineral…, Employee Training, Training should be sufficient enough to inform employees of safety procedures, BMP operation and maintenance, spill management, how to prevent contamination, discharge sampling and monitoring procedures, and emergency response to environmental hazards. Training should be conducted annually for any employee who play a role in the implementation of the SWPPP, who install, maintain, or inspect…, Monthly Inspections, At least one inspection of industrial sites must be conducted each month with more frequent inspections occurring for larger sites or sites with multiple significant materials or industrial activities. In addition, at least one inspection must be conducted for each runoff event that occurs on the site. Inspectors should consider: Does the SWPPP match the current site conditions? (I.e. Are all…, Impaired Waters Assessment, It is the responsibility of all industrial facilities to determine if their site discharges to any impaired waterbody. Each year, the facility must confirm the current status of their receiving waters by checking the list of impaired waterbodies for the State. If it is determined that a receiving waterbody has been listed on the most current 303(d) or TMDL list, the facility must begin…, Table 2-1. Applicable Effluent Limitations Guidelines, , Regulated Activity, , 40 CFR Part/Subpart, , Effluent Limit, Discharges resulting from spray down or intentional wetting of logs at wet deck storage areas Part 429, Subpart I See Part 8.A.7 Runoff from phosphate fertilizer manufacturing facilities that comes into contact with any raw materials, finished product, byproducts or waste products (SIC 2874) Part 418, Subpart A See Part 8.C.4 Runoff from asphalt emulsion facilities Part 443, Subpart A …, Stormwater Program Area , Stormwater Site Types , Associated ePermitting Forms , Stormwater for Industrial Sites SCR00 , NOI for any industrial site which has potential for industrial materials or byproducts to encounter stormwater D - 2611 No Exposure Certification that no industrial products or byproducts encounter stormwater D - 2616 Modification to an existing permit Stormwater Industrial NOI Modification Notification that all industrial activities associated with the existing permit have ceased or are…