Permitting

Hazardous Waste

• Permits active treatment, storage and disposal facilities
• Guides clean-up actions for thousands of waste management units
• Provides regulatory concurrence to the regulated community and their consultants in Hazardous Waste Management
• Maintains registration for Hazardous Waste generators in South Carolina
• Issues transporter permits for Hazardous Waste transported within the state
• Conducts compliance monitoring for Hazardous Waste activities

Infectious Waste

• Maintains registration records for 5,000 Infectious Waste Generators and 25 Infectious Waste Transporters
• Permits intermediate handling facilities and infectious waste treatment facilities
• Conducts compliance monitoring for infectious waste activities

Mining & Reclamation

• South Carolina has approximately 540 active mine operating permits
• The State of South Carolina issues two types of mine permits and one mineral exploration certificate.
  • Individual mine operating permits are used for operations of any size or mineral resources.
  • General mine operating permits are limited to areas less than five acres and the removal of only sand/clay or topsoil with no processing of material.
  • Exploration certificates are granted for small areas to determine the location, quality or quantity of the mineral deposit

Oil & Gas

• Responsible for implementing the South Carolina Oil and Gas Exploration, Drilling, and Production regulation.
• The purpose of this regulation is to prevent the waste of oil and gas, to protect correlative rights and to prevent pollution of the water, air, and land by oil and gas exploration or production activities. 

Radiological Waste

• Carries out the responsibilities delegated by the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission as an Agreement State
• Regulates the Barnwell low-level radioactive waste disposal facility , the transportation of radioactive waste into and within South Carolina , and the licenses facilities that process and transport radioactive waste
• Conducts engineering reviews of waste processes and containment systems
• Provides oversight of radiological decommissioning at state and federal facilities
• Regulates facilities that manufacture products containing radioactive material.

Solid Waste

• Responsible for permitting or registering the following solid waste management facilities pursuant to the South Carolina Solid Waste Policy and Management Act and Regulations:
  • Waste Tires
  • Commercial Chipping & Composting of Yard & Land-Clearing Debris
  • Solid Waste Processing
  • Solid Waste Transfer Stations
  • Research, Development and Demonstration Activities
  • Construction, Demolition, and Land-Clearing Debris Landfills
  • Municipal Solid Waste Incinerator & Municipal Solid Waste Pyrolysis Facilities
  • Municipal Solid Waste Incinerator Ash Landfills
  • Land Application of Solid Waste
  • Industrial Solid Waste Landfills
  • Municipal Solid Waste Landfills
  • Used Oil

Underground Storage Tanks (UST)

• Oversees the planning, compliance, permitting, enforcement and remediation efforts of underground storage tanks throughout the state.
• Ensure tank owners or operators maintain required financial responsibility for corrective action and third party liability.
• Administer the two state assurance funds (SUPERB Financial Responsibility Fund and the SUPERB Account) which serve as partial financial responsibility mechanisms for tank owners and operators in meeting their state and federal financial responsibility obligations

For more information please contact the Bureau of Land & Waste Management at (803) 896-4000.