DHEC applauds itself
BY REP. RALPH CANTY
Many South Carolinians were genuinely dismayed at DHEC's April 2
"State of the Environment" press conference, at which the state agency
congratulated itself on the good job it is doing protecting the
environment. This is pure public relations nonsense.
Given that South Carolina is arguably the most environmentally damaged
state in America, let's look at three unsettling aspects of the agency
responsible for protecting our environment.
First, in its entire history, DHEC has never made an earnest and
comprehensive attempt to clean up the environment. At present, there are
thousands of uncontrolled toxic waste sites across the state
so
many, in fact, that three-quarters of the state's black population lives
within one and a quarter miles of such a site.
While DHEC has made no more than the most perfunctory, circumscribed
efforts to eliminate these sites, it does not even have a count of how
many sites there are or where they are located.
Secondly, DHEC actually goes out of its way to encourage major
polluters to move to our state. South Carolina has more toxic, hazardous
and radioactive waste coming in than does any other state, in part because
DHEC can be counted on to give them a free ride.
DHEC has encouraged environmental nightmares like ChemNuclear and the
Laidlaw toxic waste dump to expand facilities that already are damaging
our environment. DHEC actually brags about how its job isn't to levy fines
but to "encourage compliance." This results in repeated offenses as
polluting industries laugh all the way to the bank.
In the past two years, DHEC supported licensing a company under
criminal indictment in their home state. While the highway department will
check your driving record if you move to South Carolina, DHEC will not
look into the environmental records of industries relocating here.
The third major problem is that DHEC's policies are so tied to the
well-being of corporate polluters that there is no requirement for waste
industries to put cash into trust funds that can be used to mitigate
future environmental problems.
While DHEC boasts about the great job it does protecting our
environment, it sends a different message to industry. In a recent
Department of Commerce publication designed to recruit big businesses, a
story about DHEC emphasized its "customer service," "streamlined
permitting" and its "emphasis on compliance over enforcement."
Furthermore, DHEC operates largely in secret, rigorously excluding
citizens from enforcement proceedings and seldom holding public hearings
before issuing environmental permits.
Reform of this agency, whose practices and procedures seem at odds
with its mission, is needed from top to bottom. I and other legislators
concerned that DHEC has lost touch with its important responsibility
recommend five elemental reforms to the General Assembly:
1. Require DHEC to hold public hearings before issuing any
environmental permits.
2. Require all DHEC enforcement hearings to be open to the public.
3. Establish state-funded technical assistance grants to allow
citizens to participate in a meaningful way in DHEC hearings.
4. Pass a clear "bad boy statute" which will mandate DHEC to keep
proven polluters out of South Carolina.
5. Require existing and future polluting industries to post a cash
bond sufficient to cover the cost of cleaning up any environmental damage
they may cause.
DHEC does not do its job. Without pressure, it is clear that it shows
no signs of doing so. This is a chilling realization which no amount of
public relations fantasy will change.
Rep. Ralph Canty is a three-term Democrat serving Sumter
County.
