DHEC Environmental eNews

August 2021 | View as Webpage

DHEC continues to work with federal, state, and local partners as it responds to COVID-19 in South Carolina. As we remain committed to protecting the safety and health of the public during this ongoing pandemic, DHEC's Environmental Affairs staff is also focused on keeping our customers and stakeholders informed of important events, regulations, meetings, permitting information, and compliance information.

COVID-19 Vaccine Update

Following the June data analysis showing that the overwhelming majority of COVID-19 deaths and hospitalizations were among the unvaccinated, DHEC has determined similar findings for the month of July.

On August 23, 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued full approval of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for those ages 16 and older. There continues to be an Emergency Use Authorization (EUA) from the FDA for the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine for those ages 12-15, and an EUA for the Moderna and Janssen/Johnson & Johnson vaccines for those ages 18 and older.

Visit the Vax Locator to find vaccine sites near you.

ePermitting Update

On February 1, 2021, we welcomed the Private Wells and Surface Water Withdrawal programs into ePermitting and on July 12, 2021, we welcomed Navigable Waters/Water Quality Certification. These programs joined Agriculture, Asbestos, Coastal Zone Consistency, Critical Area Permitting, Dam Safety, Infectious Waste, Stormwater and Wastewater in ePermitting.

ePermitting is DHEC's online platform for environmental permitting, licensing, registration, reporting, monitoring, complaints, compliance and enforcement. ePermitting is designed to support the full regulatory lifecycle while allowing you, our customers, to do business with the agency through the platform; among many other features.

Open Enrollment for Breathe Better for Businesses

The Breathe Better for Businesses program focuses on protecting public health on local business campuses. If a business receives several deliveries in a single day, vehicle exhaust can be drawn into air vents as delivery trucks idle around loading docks. Implementing air pollution reduction strategies, such as putting up anti-idling signs (provided free of charge from DHEC), can help reduce harmful emissions and ensure a healthy work environment for everyone.

Enroll today and be a leader in your community by implementing air pollution reduction strategies to maintain good air quality in South Carolina.

Champions of the Environment

K-12 teachers, do you need funding for your environmental education project? Champions of the Environment offers grant awards of $2,500 for projects that improve or protect the environment. Submit your online application between August 1 and October 15 at scdhec.gov/champions. Questions can be emailed to Amanda Ley.

National Picnic Month

National Picnic Month came to a close on July 31, but celebrating your love of food and best practices for preparing a meal doesn't have to end. This national observance serves as a good reminder of best practices for safely preparing and storing your food. DHEC's Retail Food Safety program helps to ensure that South Carolina's retail food establishments (i.e. restaurants, grocery stores, cafeterias, convenience stores, etc.) are preparing and cooking food with your health in mind. Click here to learn about permit forms/applications, regulations and inspection guides, and consumer education resources.

Drycleaning Team Earns National Award

The Bureau of Land and Waste Management's Drycleaning Facility Restoration Trust Fund (DFRTF) team recently earned national recognition for exemplary engineering achievement from the American Council of Engineering Companies. The team was awarded for performing environmental assessment and contamination remediation statewide at former dry cleaning facility sites enrolled in the DFRTF program.

The mission of the DFRTF program is to clean up contaminated drycleaning sites using state contractors, all of which is paid for from the trust fund. The team administers the fund and directs and oversees the cleanup activities.

The project also received the additional honor of Diamond Award from ACEC New York this year representing engineering excellence from throughout the nation and the world.