This chapter may be cited as the "Pollution Control Act" and, when used herein, unless the context otherwise requires:
(1) "Person" means any individual, public or private corporation, political subdivision, government agency, municipality, industry, copartnership, association, firm, trust, estate or any other legal entity whatsoever;
(2) "Waters" means lakes, bays, sounds, ponds, impounding reservoirs, springs, wells, rivers, streams, creeks, estuaries, marshes, inlets, canals, the Atlantic Ocean within the territorial limits of the State and all other bodies of surface or underground water, natural or artificial, public or private, inland or coastal, fresh or salt, which are wholly or partially within or bordering the State or within its jurisdiction;
(3) "Marine district" means the waters of the Atlantic Ocean within three nautical miles from the coast line and all other tidal waters within the State;
(4) "Sewage" means the water-carried human or animal wastes from residences, buildings, industrial establishments or other places, together with such ground water infiltration and surface water as may be present and the admixture with sewage of industrial wastes or other wastes shall also be considered "sewage";
(5) "Industrial waste" means any liquid, gaseous, solid or other waste substance or a combination thereof resulting from any process of industry, manufacturing, trade or business or from the development of any natural resources;
(6) "Other wastes" means garbage, refuse, decayed wood, sawdust, shavings, bark, sand, clay, lime, cinders, ashes, offal, oil, gasoline, other petroleum products or by-products, tar, dye stuffs, acids, chemicals, dead animals, heated substances and all other products, by-products or substances not sewage or industrial waste;
(7) "Pollution" means (1) the presence in the environment of any substance, including, but not limited to, sewage, industrial waste, other waste, air contaminant, or any combination thereof in such quantity and of such characteristics and duration as may cause, or tend to cause the environment of the State to be contaminated, unclean, noxious, odorous, impure or degraded, or which is, or tends to be injurious to human health or welfare; or which damages property, plant, animal or marine life or use of property; or (2) the man-made or man-induced alteration of the chemical, physical, biological and radiological integrity of water;
(8) "Standard" or "standards" means such measure of purity or quality for any waters in relation to their reasonable and necessary use as may after hearing be established;
(9) "Department" means the Department of Health and Environmental Control;
(10) "Sewage system" or "sewerage system" means pipelines and conductors, pumping stations, force mains and all other construction, devices and appliances appurtenant thereto used for conducting sewage, industrial waste or other wastes to a point of ultimate discharge;
(11) "Treatment works" means any plant, disposal field, lagoon, constructed drainage ditch or surface water intercepting ditch, incinerator, area devoted to sanitary land fills or other works not specifically mentioned herein, installed for the purpose of treating, neutralizing, stabilizing or disposing of sewage, industrial waste or other wastes;
(12) "Disposal system" means a system for disposing of sewage, industrial waste or other wastes, including sewerage systems and treatment works;
(13) "Outlet" means the terminus of a sewer system or the point of emergence of any water-borne sewage, industrial waste or other wastes, or the effluent therefrom, into the waters of the State;
(14) "Shellfish" means oysters, scallops, clams, mussels and other aquatic mollusks and lobsters, shrimp, crawfish, crabs and other aquatic crustaceans;
(15) "Ambient air" means that portion of the atmosphere outside of buildings and other enclosures, stacks, or ducts which surrounds human, plant, or animal life, water or property;
(16) "Air contaminant" means particulate matter, dust, fumes, gas, mist, smoke, or vapor, or any combination thereof produced by processes other than natural;
(17) "Source" means any and all points of origin of air contaminants whether privately or publicly owned or operated;
(18) "Undesirable level" means the presence in the outdoor atmosphere of one or more air contaminants or any combination thereof in sufficient quantity and of such characteristics and duration as to be injurious to human health or welfare, or to damage plant, animal or marine life, to property or which unreasonably interfere with enjoyment of life or use of property;
(19) "Emission" means a release into the outdoor atmosphere of air contaminants;
(20) "Environment" means the waters, ambient air, soil and/or land;
(21) "Effluent" means the discharge from a waste disposal system;
(22) "Effluent limitations" means restrictions or prohibitions of chemical, physical, biological, and other constituents which are discharged from point sources into State waters, including schedules of compliance;
(23) "Point source" means any discernible, confined and discrete conveyance, including, but not limited to, any pipe, ditch, channel, tunnel, conduit, well, discrete fissure, container, rolling stock, concentrated animal feeding operation or vessel, or other floating craft, from which pollutants are or may be discharged.
HISTORY: 1962 Code Section 63-195; 1952 Code Section 70-101; 1950 (45) 2153; 1965 (54) 687; 1970 (56) 2512; 1973 (58) 788; 1975 (59) 241.
Editor's Note
2012 Act No. 198, Sections 4 and 5, provide as follows:
"SECTION 4. (A) There is created the 'Isolated Wetlands and Carolina Bays Task Force' to review, study, and make recommendations concerning issues related to isolated wetlands and Carolina Bays in South Carolina. The task force shall be comprised of the following members:
"(1) the Chairman of the Senate Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee, ex officio, or his designee, who shall serve as chairman;
"(2) the Chairman of the House of Representatives Agriculture, Natural Resources and Environmental Affairs Committee, ex officio, or his designee, who shall serve as vice chairman;
"(3) one member representing the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce;
"(4) one member representing the Coastal Conservation League;
"(5) one member representing the Conservation Voters of South Carolina;
"(6) one member representing the South Carolina Association of Realtors;
"(7) one member representing the South Carolina Association of Homebuilders, upon consultation with the South Carolina Association of General Contractors;
"(8) one member representing the South Carolina Farm Bureau;
"(9) one member representing the South Carolina Manufacturer's Alliance;
"(10) one member representing the South Carolina Chapter of the Sierra Club;
"(11) one member representing the South Carolina Wildlife Federation;
"(12) one member representing the Environmental Law Project; and
"(13) one member representing the utilities industry.
"(B) The task force shall meet as soon as practicable after the effective date of this act for organizational purposes.
"(C) The members of the task force shall serve without compensation and may not receive mileage or per diem.
"(D) Vacancies on the task force shall be filled in the same manner as the original appointment.
"(E) The task force shall compile a comprehensive inventory of existing data and information regarding Carolina Bays and isolated wetlands in South Carolina. The inventory, as far as possible, must identify the number, distribution, size, description, and characteristics of the Carolina Bays and isolated wetlands throughout the State. The task force also must compile a glossary of standard terms and definitions used when describing Carolina Bays and isolated wetlands, their various types, and characteristics.
"(F) During its review and study of Carolina Bays and isolated wetlands, and in its findings and recommendations, the task force shall consider at least:
"(1) the biological, hydrological, ecological, and economic values and services of Carolina Bays and isolated wetlands;
"(2) prior disturbances of Carolina Bays and isolated wetlands and the cumulative impacts of disturbances to isolated wetlands and their functions;
"(3) methods to avoid adverse impact on Carolina Bays and isolated wetlands;
"(4) methods to minimize adverse impact on Carolina Bays and isolated wetland functions that can be avoided;
"(5) manners of compensation for any loss of Carolina Bays and isolated wetland functions that cannot be avoided or minimized;
"(6) methods to provide public notice of wetlands permitting applications;
"(7) the utility of using a general permitting program for Carolina Bays and isolated wetlands disturbance, where practical;
"(8) the proper balance between the economic development value of a proposed permitted activity and the impact on Carolina Bays and isolated wetlands;
"(9) achieving a goal of 'no net loss' wetlands;
"(10) concerning proposals to impact Carolina Bays and isolated wetlands, including those appearing to be geographically isolated, the aggregate benefits and services of similarly situated wetlands in the watershed should be considered;
"(11) concerning mitigation for Carolina Bays and isolated wetland impacts, whether a watershed based approach should be followed in order to replace wetland functions and services where they are most needed in the impacted watershed; and
"(12) whether, and the extent to which, the standards used by the Department of Health and Environmental Control in evaluating discharges to federal wetlands can and should be used for non-federal wetlands.
"(G) The task force shall make a report of its findings and recommendations related to Carolina Bays to the General Assembly on or before January 1, 2013. The task force shall make a report of its findings and recommendations related to isolated wetlands on or before July 1, 2013, at which time the study committee terminates.
"(H) The staffing for the task force must be provided by the appropriate committees or offices of the Senate and House of Representatives. The task force may utilize staff of other government agencies with relevant issue area expertise upon request.
"SECTION 5. The term 'permit' as used in the Pollution Control Act is inclusive and intended to mean all permits, certifications, determinations, or other approvals required by law issued by the department, consistent with the definition of 'license' as found in Chapter 23, Title 1 of the Administrative Procedures Act."