Enforcement

Enforcement of South Carolina’s environmental laws and regulations is an essential tool for meeting the Department of Health and Environmental Control (DHEC) agency’s mission to promote and protect the health of the public and the environment. Environmental enforcement programs seek to achieve the following objectives:

1. Return a violator to full compliance in a timely manner
2. Act as a deterrent against future non-compliance
3. Ensure that enforcement actions are fair, consistent, communicated clearly, documented, defensible, and timely
4. Combine with compliance assistance to achieve, maintain, and enhance compliance

Environmental enforcement programs utilize a range of enforcement and compliance tools to achieve the goals in a way that maximizes the use of agency resources, is proportionate to the potential impact of the violations on the public’s health and the environment, and is consistent with the agency’s statutory and regulatory authority.

• Audit Privilege and Voluntary Disclosure Act

• Criminal Investigations

• EQC Enforcement Board Agenda Items

• FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)

• Glossary of Terms

• Notice of Appeals Procedure

• Overview of the Administrative Enforcement Process

• Overview of the Administrative Enforcement Process - Espanola

• Uniform Enforcement Policy (1999)