DHEC Reopens Additional Shellfish Beds in Georgetown County at Official Sunrise on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 12, 2022 COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) will reopen additional shellfish harvesting beds in Georgetown County on Thursday, Oct. 13, 2022. "Shellfish harvesting in Shellfish Management Area 04, which includes Murrells Inlet in Georgetown County, will reopen at official sunrise on Thursday, October 13,”, said Mike Marshall, Manager of DHEC's Shellfish Sanitation Section, . “Shellfish Management Area 11, which includes Seabrook Island, Kiawah Island, and the Stono River in Charleston County, will remain closed until water quality data indicate that bacteria levels are once again suitable for the harvesting of shellfish.” For more information on shellfish harvesting in your area, please visit https://des.sc.gov/community/environmental-sites-projects/pollution-…DHEC Reopens Two Additional Shellfish Beds at Official Sunrise on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 11, 2022 COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC), will, reopen shellfish harvesting beds, in Georgetown and Charleston counties on Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2022., "Two shellfish harvesting areas will reopen at official sunrise on Wednesday, October 12,”, said Mike Marshall, Manager of DHEC's Shellfish Sanitation Section., “The two areas are Shellfish Management Area 05, which includes North Inlet and Winyah Bay in Georgetown County, and Shellfish Management Area 10A, which includes Folly Beach, Sol Legare Island, and Morris Island in Charleston County." , Two shellfish management areas will remain closed until water quality data indicate that bacteria levels are once again suitable for the harvesting of shellfish:, Shellfish Management Area 04 – Murrells Inlet in Georgetown County; and Shellfish Management Area 11 – Seabrook Island, Kiawah Island, and the Stono River in Charleston County For more information on shellfish harvesting in your area, please visit https://des.sc.gov/community/environmental-sites-projects/pollution-advisories-monitoring/shellfish-bed-monitoring or contact your local DHEC…DHEC Now Accepting Applications for Projects Aimed at Reducing Diesel Emissions
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Oct. 11, 2022 COLUMBIA, S.C. – Today, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) 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. For federal fiscal year (FFY) 2022,…, said Rhonda Thompson, Director of DHEC’s Bureau of Air Quality., “This funding will support projects that curb diesel emissions and thereby provide benefits to both public health and the environment in South Carolina.” DERA funding is intended for county, city, or other local government entities, private businesses, colleges and universities, and non-profit organizations. Grants are awarded to eligible applicants for the implementation of diesel emissions…, Applications for the FFY2022 SC State DERA grant cycle are due by Nov. 18, 2022. , Please email dera@dhec.sc.gov with any questions related to DERA grants in South Carolina. ###DHEC Assesses Damages, Offers Health and Safety Reminders Following Hurricane Ian
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Oct. 5, 2022, COLUMBIA, S.C., — Following Hurricane Ian’s landfall in South Carolina, DHEC is working with state and local partners to assess related damages and impacts across the state. Below is a summary overview of the agency’s efforts, as well as key resources for residents. , Dam Safety Assessments , DHEC’s Dam Safety team completed its assessment of regulated dams in the impacted areas of the state and has found no storm-related issues. If you are a dam owner and would like to learn more about the resources DHEC has to offer, please click here . , Private Well Testing, If your private well was not flooded, the water is likely unchanged, and no action is necessary. If your well was flooded, use bottled water or boil your well water before consuming it until the well has been properly disinfected and tested . You can use unscented household bleach to disinfect your well, and please be sure to test the well water to ensure it was properly cleaned. For any…, 1-888-761-5989, . Additionally, severe storms can result in standing water around the outside of the home. If you see standing water, safely eliminate it to prevent mosquito spread and breeding., Mold, If your home was flooded or damaged by water, please to do not reenter until it is safe to do, as mold could be present on flooded floors, walls, furniture, appliances or clothing. Drying your home and removing water-damaged items within 24 to 48 hours is the most-important step in stopping mold growth, damage and potential exposure. While DHEC does not perform remediation for mold, residents can…, 1-888-815-3509, to receive resources and speak to a DHEC representative who can help answer questions about mold. For more information, visit DHEC’s page on indoor mold ., Ocean & Coastal Recovery, After a hurricane, DHEC’s Ocean & Coastal Resource Management team assesses damages to beachfront structures within the state's jurisdiction so that these issues can be resolved as quickly as possible. Coastal residents should report damage to beachfront structures, including homes, pools, seawalls, revetments, and dune walkovers, at mycoast.org/sc . This is an online portal the agency uses…Report Beachfront Structural Damage from Hurricane Ian Using SC MyCoast
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Oct. 1, 2022, COLUMBIA, S.C., ― Once the storm has safely passed, the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) encourages coastal residents affected by Hurricane Ian to report damage to beachfront structures, including seawalls, revetments and dune walkovers using SC MyCoast . Residents using SC MyCoast’s Storm Witness report for the first time will need to register before submitting a report.…DHEC Reopens Most Shellfish Beds at Official Sunrise Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Oct. 1, 2022 COLUMBIA, S.C. – The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) will reopen most shellfish harvesting beds beginning at official sunrise, Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022, , the agency announced today. "The majority of shellfish harvesting areas will reopen at official sunrise on Sunday, Oct. 2, 2022. However, due to excessive rainfall totals due to Hurricane Ian, the following shellfish management areas will remain closed until water quality data indicate that bacteria levels are once again suitable for the harvesting of shellfish,”, said Mike Marshall, Manager of DHEC's Shellfish Sanitation Section, . "The following shellfish management areas will remain closed: Shellfish Management Area 04 – Murrells Inlet in Georgetown County, Shellfish Management Area 05 – North Inlet and Winyah Bay in Georgetown County, Shellfish Management Area 10A – Folly Beach, Sol Legare Island, and Morris Island in Charleston County, and Shellfish Management Area 11 – Seabrook Island, Kiawah Island, and the Stono…DHEC Continues Pre-storm Efforts to Help Protect People, Environment from Hurricane Ian Impacts
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Sept. 29, 2022 COLUMBIA, S.C. ― The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) is closely monitoring Hurricane Ian and preparing for its potential impact on South Carolina today and through the weekend. The South Carolina Emergency Management Division (SCEMD ) is the state’s lead agency during a hurricane response, and DHEC has been staying in…, said Dr. Edward Simmer, DHEC Director., “DHEC has been taking the necessary steps to help limit the extent of those impacts and to protect the health and environment of South Carolina before, during and after the storm.” On Monday, DHEC began contacting the owners of all regulated dams and reservoirs in the state , advising them to take measures to ready their dam for potential heavy rainfall. DHEC used its emergency notification…DHEC Closes Shellfish Harvesting Beds Statewide Due To Forecasted Impacts of Hurricane Ian
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE, Sept. 29, 2022, COLUMBIA, S.C., – The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) is closing all shellfish harvesting beds statewide due to Hurricane Ian and forecasted rainfall estimates, the agency announced today. "This closure goes into effect at official sunset today, Thursday September 29th, and affects all shellfish harvesting beds in the State of South Carolina,", said Mike Marshall, Manager of DHEC's Shellfish Sanitation Section, . "The harvesting areas will be reopened once post-storm assessments are performed and water quality monitoring indicate bacteria levels are once again suitable for shellfish harvesting." For more information on shellfish harvesting in your area, please visit our website at https://des.sc.gov/community/environmental-sites-projects/pollution-advisories-monitoring/shellfish-bed-monitoring or…Dam, reservoir owners, operators should monitor the development of Hurricane Ian
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Sept. 26, 2022 COLUMBIA. S.C. — As Hurricane Ian’s track narrows, the potential for impacts in South Carolina become more likely. Owners and operators of reservoirs statewide can prepare by taking proactive steps to ready their dam for potential heavy rainfall. This may include clearing debris from spillways and assessing the water level to determine if lowering the level is…, said Jill Stewart, P.E., Director of DHEC’s Dam Safety and Stormwater Permitting Division., "In addition, coordinate any water release with other dam owners and/or property owners downstream that could be impacted. It is also important before and after the storm has passed to remove any accumulated trash and debris from spillways." Resources to help dam owners prepare for the approaching rainfall can be found under the “Preparing and Responding to Events at Your Dam” link on DHEC’s Dam…, Stewart said, . "If problems develop such that failure of the dam might be imminent, the owner or operator of the dam should first call 911, then contact downstream property owners and DHEC Dam Safety Program staff at 803-898-1939.” ###SC Adopt-a-Stream Program Celebrates Successes on Its 5th Anniversary, Seeks More Volunteers to Protect Local Waterways
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: August 16, 2022 COLUMBIA, S.C. ― The South Carolina Adopt-a-Stream volunteer program for monitoring water quality is celebrating five years of protecting waterways across the state. The program, which is supported by local volunteers who understand the importance of healthy watersheds, has had many successes over the past five years and looks to have many more in the future…, said Sierra Hylton, DHEC’s SC Adopt-a-Stream Program Coordinator., “Through free trainings and workshops, our volunteers learn how to collect samples and understand water quality data. Our volunteer data provides impressive quantitative results that help create partnerships at the local level for protecting and restoring waterways. In turn, our volunteers become conservation advocates within their communities.” Data collected by SC AAS volunteers have helped…, said Katie Callahan, director of Clemson University’s Center for Watershed Excellence., "More eyes and ears outside can share powerful observations that through programs like SC Adopt-a-Stream, activate local authorities when the threat of pollution is observed. Free trainings and a less complicated database of results and photos democratizes environmental health data and encourages more broad participation in the decisions that affect our communities. We at the Center are grateful…, Anderson County:, Volunteer Trey Burns began noticing elevated bacteria levels at his monitoring site in Hembree Creek. After recording numerous high-bacteria sampling events, Trey discovered a broken pipe near the stream. The appropriate local officials were notified and immediately responded to fix the pipe. This was an important discovery as Hembree Creek flows into Lake Hartwell, just above a source water…, Travelers Rest:, Volunteer Gerardo Naundorf noticed unusual odors and excessive sediment accumulating at a nearby stream. After notifying DHEC’s regional Environmental Affairs office, the property owner was contacted and was very grateful that the condition of that section of stream was brought to their attention. The property owner took the necessary actions to improve the water quality, including installing…, Gills Creek (Columbia):, Volunteer Trish Jerman with the Gills Creek Watershed Association noticed bacteria levels dropped to zero at one of her long-term monitoring sites and the water smelled of chlorine. SC AAS staff met Trish at her site, and local authorities were soon contacted after which a drinking water line break was found. Local officials quickly repaired the line, and subsequent testing at that site found the…, The SC AAS program, co-led by DHEC and CU CWE, is supported by many other organizations, including: Kalmia Gardens, Charleston Waterkeeper, Baruch Institute, Department of Natural Resources, NOAA, Coker University, USC Upstate Watershed Ecology Center, Clemson Cooperative Extensions, City of Greer Public Services, City of Rock Hill Public Works, Coastal Carolina University, Waccamaw Watershed…