SC Isolated Wetlands Taskforce Meeting in September

In June, the South Carolina General Assembly amended the Pollution Control Act (“PCA”) to address the Smith Land case. In that case, the South Carolina Supreme Court interpreted the PCA to require all discharges into the environment to be covered by a permit from the South Carolina Department of Health and Environmental Control (“DHEC”) and to create a private right of action for any person who wants to challenge another’s discharges into the environment without such a permit. As part of the compromise to eliminate the private right of action and to limit the permitting requirements, the amendments created an Isolated Wetlands Taskforce to review and study isolated wetlands and make findings and recommendations. That Taskforce is scheduled to hold its first meeting on Wednesday, September 12, 2012 at 1:30 pm, Room 105 of the Gressette Building on the State House Grounds. Anyone interested in a possible isolated wetlands permitting program may attend.