Overview

Proposed decisions to issue, modify, reissue, deny, or terminate an ND permit must be public noticed prior to the Bureau making the final decision except for minor modifications. If there are significant issues or sufficient public interest in a proposed decision, the Bureau must hold a public hearing. Public hearings must also be public noticed. The notice for a public hearing may be combined with the notice of the proposed permit decision when the Bureau is aware that a hearing is necessary.

Overview

ND permits are issued for a term not to exceed ten years. Permits must be renewed before they expire for a discharge to continue. To begin the renewal process, a permittee must submit a renewal application to the Bureau of Water (Bureau) at least 180 days prior to their permit's expiration date.  The Bureau may allow a renewal application to be submitted at a later date but in no case past a permit's expiration date.

(Section 505.3 of SC Regulation 61-9)

505.3  Exclusions.  The following discharges do not require Land Application permits or State permits:

Infectious Waste Generators

What is the purpose of this registration?

The Infectious Waste Generator Registration notifies SCDES that your facility is generating infectious waste. SCDES uses the registration information to perform inspections at your facility to verify that it is complying with regulations.

Who issues this registration?

The South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control issues this registration.

Registration

Any facility that generates any infectious waste should register with the infectious waste program. Registration should include at least:

The Infectious Waste Program regulates generators and transporters of infectious waste in South Carolina as well as facilities that treat infectious waste.

In South Carolina, there are approximately 9000 registered generators of infectious waste, 30 registered transporters of infectious waste, and 2 registered treatment facilities for infectious waste.

What is Infectious Waste?

Also known as medical or biohazardous waste, infectious waste is material that was used in healthcare, research or postmortem exams. It includes:

How should infectious waste be packaged and stored?

• Sharps must be placed in rigid, leak- and puncture-resistant containers secured tightly.

This report looks at the estimated amounts of infectious waste generated in the state in the past and offers an estimate of the amount of waste that may be generated in the state in the next year.

What is the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA)?

The Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) is a federal law enacted the Environmental Protection Agency in 1976 that established a regulatory system to track hazardous wastes from the point of generation to disposal. It established a “cradle to grave” process for management of hazardous waste (spent oil, cleaning agents, pesticides, etc.). The law requires the use of safe and secure procedures in treating, transporting, storing, and disposing of hazardous wastes.