General Overview of EQC Regional Offices
Note: To contact your local EQC Regional Office, please click here.
Air Quality
The Regional air quality staff provide a number of services designed to assist in protecting and maintaining the quality of the air in South Carolina. One of the primary responsibilities of the Regional Air Quality staff is to respond to all customer complaints involving excessive emissions, odors, and open burning. Another area of responsibility involves facility compliance. Facilities (sources) in each Region are inspected each year for compliance with operation and maintenance and visible emissions requirements. Inspecting new sources for operating permits and ensuring that all sources have a current operating permit are also activities handled by the Regional Air Quality staff. Regional staff also maintain continuous air quality monitoring stations. Long term trends for particulate matter, ozone, SOx, and NOx concentrations are monitored. Results from each of the Regional monitoring programs are combined, and used to provide a comprehensive picture of the air quality in South Carolina. Through compliance inspections, complaint response and monitoring activities, the Regional Air Quality staff helps to ensure that ambient air quality is maintained at the highest possible level.
For contact information on this program in your area please refer to the Local Field Offices.
Land and Waste Management
Regulating solid and hazardous waste in South Carolina is one of DHEC's biggest challenges. Land and Waste Regional staff tackle various regulatory issues in the areas of hazardous, non-hazardous, and infectious wastes, along with programs involving disaster preparedness, emergency response and mining and reclamation.
Regional Hazardous Waste management personnel routinely conduct inspections of industries and hazardous waste facilities for compliance with applicable regulations. These inspections are designed to ensure that hazardous wastes are properly transported, stored and ultimately disposed of in a manner that is safe and protective of public health and the environment. Facilities that handle mixed waste (hazardous and radioactive waste combined) are also regulated and are routinely inspected by SCDHEC personnel.
The Solid Waste Management program involves a variety of issues including recycling, waste reduction, littering, open dumping, wood and leaf composting, the proper disposal of tires, white goods, and solid waste planning. To help ensure proper solid waste management, Regional personnel routinely inspect landfills, and solid waste collection and transfer facilities for compliance with the regulations, as well as provide technical assistance to landfill operators and the public.
The Mining and Reclamation program is responsible for administering the provisions and requirements of the South Carolina Mining Act. This includes issuing permits, reviewing and approving reclamation plans, collecting reclamation performance bonds, conducting environmental appraisals, providing technical assistance to mine operators and the public, implementing research and demonstration projects, and inspecting all mining operations and reclamation as set forth by the S.C. Mining Act.
Regional Emergency Response personnel respond on a 24 hour basis to disaster situations and incidents involving hazardous materials, infectious waste, oil spills, and fish kills.
For contact information on this program in your area please refer to the Local Field Offices.
Water Quality
Water is one of our most vital natural resources. Protecting that resource is one of the primary functions of the water quality program. The Regional water quality program consists of Engineering Services, Drinking Water Protection, and Water Pollution Control. Engineering services performed in the Region include conducting construction inspections and final inspections for public drinking water and wastewater systems to ensure that these systems are properly constructed and maintained. These inspections are conducted to ensure compliance with plans and specifications previously approved by central office staff. Permits to operate are issued by Regional engineering staff. The engineering staff is also responsible for local construction and operating permits for small water systems which serve facilities such as convenience stores and small mobile home parks. They also inspect regulated high hazard and significant hazard dams. Engineering staff also provides technical assistance to the public and response to customer complaints.
Drinking Water staff is responsible for ensuring that all public drinking water supplies meet State and Federal requirements for water quality, quantity, and pressure. This involves conducting routine inspections of public drinking water systems, conducting routine bacteriological, radiological, and chemical monitoring of public drinking water system supplies, investigating drinking water contamination incidents and complaints, and responding to emergencies involving public water systems. Regional drinking water personnel routinely provide technical assistance to public water systems which includes system operation and maintenance training. Staff also provides technical assistance to private well owners. In addition, Regional Drinking Water staff are involved with the Recreational Waters Program. Staff responds to complaints from the public concerning water quality, safety, and sanitary conditions at public swimming facilities. Staff is responsible for sampling public swimming pools and natural swimming areas for compliance with water quality standards. Groundwater protection activities include providing technical assistance to geologists and well drillers in the areas of resource protection, well site selection, impact assessment and remediation, well driller certification, and well head protection.
Water Pollution Control staff is responsible for monitoring and inspecting wastewater treatment plants that discharge effluent to the environment. They also sample wastewater treatment facilities, sample streams and perform operation and maintenance inspections of agricultural facilities. In addition, they handle a wide variety of complaints to include overflowing manholes, sewage spills, sewage backups, septage haulers, storm water runoff, and agricultural complaints. Water Pollution Control staff may also be involved in the non-point source and stormwater programs. These staff members are responsible for conducting inspections of permitted and non-permitted land disturbance sites. Permitted sites are evaluated for compliance with approved sediment and erosion control plans and unpermitted sites are referred to central office staff for review.
For contact information on this program in your area please refer to the Local Field Offices.