WaterSC Listening Session - Greenville
South Carolinians are asked to offer input and ideas about protecting and managing the state's natural water resources during upcoming WaterSC Listening Sessions. Public engagement is a critical component of WaterSC, a statewide initiative to help plan for the long-term preservation of South Carolina’s water resources. As demand for water use increases due to record-breaking economic development…‘Every Day is Earth Day’: S.C. Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) Encourages South Carolinians to Celebrate SC’s Natural Environment this Earth Month
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 3, 2025 COLUMBIA, S.C. — April is Earth Month, and the S.C. Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) urges residents to recognize and celebrate how invaluable South Carolina’s natural environment is to those who live, work and play in the Palmetto State. SCDES employees work every day to protect the state’s air, land, water, and coastal resources for the benefit…, said Myra Reece, SCDES Interim Director., “Anyone can help support our mission of preserving and protecting a clean, thriving environment by performing volunteer work, taking time to ensure they’re recycling right, or even by simply planting a native tree or flower.” SCDES’s team of environmental stewards are scientists, engineers, chemists, biologists, geologists, hydrogeologists, meteorologists, health physicists and more – all…, Science, Service and Sustainability., The agency’s five bureaus support a healthy, resilient environment every day: , Bureau of Air Quality:, protects the air we breathe by ensuring regulated industries comply with state and federal air quality standards, implementing air quality strategies, and joining partners on local air quality awareness efforts. , Bureau of Coastal Management:, helps ensure the appropriate use, development and conservation of the coastal environment by overseeing direct permitting of activities within the state's critical areas and working to preserve the state’s natural, historic and cultural coastal resources. , Bureau of Land and Waste Management:, helps protect land resources by overseeing certain mining and solid waste activities as well as the redevelopment of contaminated industrial sites, supporting recycling and food waste reduction goals, and ensuring the proper handling of hazardous waste, among other important responsibilities. , Bureau of Regional and Laboratory Services:, safeguards the environment by responding to chemical spills and contaminant releases, permitting septic system installations, sampling and monitoring ambient air and water, and investigating environmental concerns. , Bureau of Water:, preserves the state’s water resources by developing and enforcing state water quality standards, overseeing the compliance of drinking water providers, and implementing groundwater protection programs, among many other responsibilities. “For us at SCDES, every day is Earth Day,”, Reece said., “We encourage South Carolinians to consider Earth Month and Earth Day as calls to action to be a positive force in environmental protection within their communities.” Opportunities to support Earth Month and Earth Day include: , Volunteer with, Adopt-a-Stream:, Learn how to help monitor the quality of South Carolina's waterways at free workshops., Volunteer with, Adopt-a-Beach:, Organize and participate in beach cleanups and provide marine debris collection data using the MyCoast South Carolina reporting tool., Make sure you Recycle Right:, Download the free RecycleRightSC app to learn what, where and how to recycle all sorts of materials., Help prevent food waste:, Food is the No. 1 item Americans throw away. Visit Don't Waste Food SC to learn food waste prevention tips., Plant native trees and flowers:, Native plants are the building blocks for a healthy environment. Learn more about South Carolina native plants, trees and flowers from the South Carolina Native Plant Society., Participate in a litter clean-up event:, PalmettoPride, South Carolina’s leading anti-litter organization, is organizing the SC Sweep from April 25 – May 4, 2025., Start a community garden:, The only thing better than growing your own produce is sharing it with others. Learn how to start a community garden in your neighborhood with this free resource from Clemson Cooperative Extension., Get into nature at your local state park:, Spend a day surrounded in nature to realize just how valuable our state's greenspaces are, and check out upcoming Earth Day or clean-up events at your local state park at southcarolinaparks.com. Learn more at des.sc.gov/EarthDay and follow the S.C. Department of Environmental Services on social media:, @SouthCarolinaDES, on Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn and YouTube and, @SC_EnvServices, on X. ###Rechargeable Battery Recycling Event
SCDES and Redwood Materials are teaming up to help you recycle your lithium-ion batteries and rechargeable devices safely! Bring your old smartphones, tablets, laptops, power tool batteries, rechargeable vacuums, wireless headphones, electric toothbrushes, and more for proper recycling. Let’s keep hazardous materials out of landfills and support a cleaner, greener South Carolina!ePermitting Training - Construction Stormwater
Construction Stormwater - Frequently Asked Questions
During Food Waste Prevention Week, SCDES Encourages South Carolinians to Save Money, Resources by Reducing Thrown-away Food
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 7, 2025 COLUMBIA, S.C. — During national Food Waste Prevention Week , the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) reminds residents of the everyday steps they can take to limit the amount of food that gets thrown away. When food is wasted, all of the resources that went into producing the food also are wasted, and money is spent needlessly to…, said Savannah Murray, program coordinator for Don’t Waste Food SC., “We encourage South Carolinians to begin taking small steps to prevent food waste and help put unneeded, nonperishable food items into the hands of nearby families who may be experiencing food insecurity.” Steps to reduce food waste include: , Plan your meals and shop smart., Use what you have at home first. Make a list of what you need and stick to it. , Prep smart and store smart., Prepare perishable food soon after shopping so it doesn’t have time to spoil. Consider meal prepping. Freeze items. Remember FIFO: first in, first out. Be mindful of storage specifics, especially for produce. , Learn about date labels., Food doesn’t magically spoil on label dates. , Love your leftovers, . If dining out, take your leftovers home. Be creative to make new meals from extras. , Donate non-perishable items., One in 8 South Carolinians faces hunger, according to Feeding America . Find a food bank location near you. Don’t Waste Food SC launched in 2016 as an outreach campaign that brings together ambassadors from the public and private sectors to work together to reduce food waste in South Carolina. The outreach campaign aims to: Increase the awareness of the economic, environmental, and social…S.C. Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) and Redwood Materials to Hold Earth Day Rechargeable Battery Drop-off Event in Columbia
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 11, 2025 COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolinians are encouraged to take advantage of a free, rechargeable battery drop-off event to be held on Earth Day, April 22, through a partnership between the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) and Redwood Materials. The, Earth Day Rechargeable Battery Drop-off is 9 a.m.-2 p.m. Tuesday, April 22 at the SCDES Office main entrance located at 2600 Bull Street. , The event is for devices with lithium-ion rechargeable batteries, which are commonly used in smartphones, tablets, laptops, electric toothbrushes, power tool batteries, rechargeable vacuum batteries, wireless headphones and more. For loose lithium-ion or nickel-metal-hydride batteries, please tape both ends of the battery. Please remove all personal data from devices prior to drop-off. Visit …, Left: Morgan Crapps, Director of Public Affairs & Government Relations with Redwood Materials, receives rechargeable batteries from a resident during a drop-off event last fall. Right: Devices with rechargeable batteries can be dropped off at the April 22 collection event, including smartphones, tablets, laptops, electric toothbrushes, power tool batteries, rechargeable vacuum batteries,…, Rechargeable lithium-ion batteries shouldn’t be disposed of in household trash or recycling services – they require special handling and recycling to reduce the risk of fires and other safety hazards. It’s estimated that lithium-ion batteries improperly placed in recyclables collected from households cause an estimated 5,000 fires annually at recycling facilities according to a recent report.…Monroe Tract Surface Mine Public Meeting/Hearing
The South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) will hold a combination public meeting and public hearing on the proposed, Monroe Tract Surface Mine, on May 22, 2025, at the Agape Family Life Center located at 5855 S Okatie Highway, Hardeeville, SC 29927. The public meeting will be held from 6:00 – 7:00 PM, with the public hearing held immediately thereafter. , The public meeting is informal and provides an opportunity for participants to have a discussion with SCDES staff about the proposed mine and environmental permitting process prior to giving comments at the public hearing. The meeting will include an SCDES presentation about the mine permit application. Staff from SCDES’s Bureau of Land and Waste Management, Bureau of Water Quality and the…S.C. Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) Begins Seasonal Water Quality Monitoring at S.C. Beaches on May 1
Sampling at 122 sites helps SCDES provide public updates on ocean water quality during busy beach season , FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: April 24, 2025 COLUMBIA, S.C. — To help keep South Carolina beaches a favorite destination during the summer months, the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services (SCDES) is beginning its seasonal monitoring of water quality along the coast. Every state with ocean-facing beaches performs beach water monitoring to help detect instances of elevated bacteria levels…, Makayla Strichek, Recreational Waters Inspector with SCDES's Myrtle Beach Regional Office, collects an ocean water sample for routine testing at a monitoring site in Myrtle Beach. SCDES performs regular sampling at 122 monitoring sites along the South Carolina coast to monitor ocean water quality during the busy summer months., “If levels of Enterococci bacteria exceed the standard limit, we quickly issue a short-term swimming advisory for that portion of the beach to help alert beachgoers,”, said Courtney Kemmer, Manager of SCDES’s Aquatic Resource Monitoring., “A swimming advisory doesn’t mean a beach is closed, it just means that particular area of ocean water should be avoided until the bacteria levels return to normal. Most short-term swimming advisories last just a single day.” SCDES tests ocean water for Enterococci bacteria, which are naturally found in warm-blooded animals, including humans. However, high levels of Enterococci in water…, Kemmer said., “It’s important to remember that ocean water isn’t chemically controlled like swimming pool water, and swimming in any natural water body presents the risk of coming into contact with potentially harmful bacteria and viruses.” SCDES partners with the City of Myrtle Beach, the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce, the Town of Edisto, and other organizations on the Check My Beach program, which…WaterSC Meeting
The WaterSC Water Resources Working Group will hold its next meeting on Thursday, April 20, 2025, from 1:00 to 4:00 PM at the Phillips Market Center, 117 Ballard Court in West Columbia., The meeting, will be livestreamed, by SCETV, For more information on upcoming and previous WaterSC meetings, visit our, WaterSC Meetings webpage, .