Title 48, Environmental Protection and Conservation

The Secretary of State shall examine the application and statement and, if he finds that the name proposed for the district is not identical with that of any other soil and water conservation district of this State or so nearly similar as to lead to confusion or uncertainty, he s…

After six months shall have expired from the date of entry of a determination by the department that the operation of a proposed district is not administratively practicable and feasible and a denial of a petition pursuant to such determination, subsequent petitions may be filed …

In any suit, action or proceeding involving the validity or enforcement of, or relating to, any contract, proceeding or action of the district, the district shall be deemed to have been established in accordance with the provisions of this chapter upon proof of the issuance of th…

Petitions for including additional territory within an existing district may be filed with the department and the proceedings provided for in Article 5 of this chapter in the case of petitions to organize a district shall be observed in the case of petitions for such inclusion. T…

A portion of a soil and water conservation district, such portion being composed of one or more entire counties, may withdraw from such district and constitute itself a separate soil and water conservation district by the procedure set forth in this section and Sections 48-9-830 …

Within thirty days after such a petition has been filed with the department, it shall cause due notice to be given of a proposed hearing upon the question of the proposed subdivision. All occupiers of land lying within the proposed district and all other interested parties shall …

After such hearing the department shall determine, upon the facts presented at such hearing and upon such other relevant facts and information as may be available, whether there is need in the interest of the public health, safety and welfare for the proposed subdivision and whet…

The department shall then proceed in accordance with Sections 48-9-610 to 48-9-630 to organize the subdivision into a district and to inform the Secretary of State of the change in the boundaries of the remaining district and to complete the organization of the governing body of …

As used in this chapter, unless a different meaning clearly appears from the context: (1) "Watershed conservation district" means a governmental subdivision of this State and a public body corporate and politic organized and functioning in accordance with this chapter for the pur…

(A) The governing body of each watershed conservation district consists of five directors selected as provided in this section. No person may be a director who is not a qualified elector residing in the district. (B) The first directors of the watershed conservation district afte…

A watershed conservation district organized under this chapter constitutes a governmental subdivision of this State, and a public body corporate and politic, exercising public powers. The district and its board of directors, to develop and execute plans and programs for the contr…

(A) Bonds, notes, and other evidences of debt authorized by Section 48-11-110(3) must not be issued until proposed by order or resolution of the directors of the watershed conservation district specifying the purpose for which the funds are to be used and the proposed undertaking…

(A) At least once every five years the board of directors of each watershed conservation district shall establish an operating budget for the purposes of the district. The budget must be established only after the board provides due notice of and conducts a public hearing at whic…

(A) The board of directors of a watershed conservation district for which directors are elected, at its discretion, may levy a tax each fiscal year on real property in the watershed conservation district to meet all or part of the budget prepared according to Section 48-11-130(B)…

The Department of Natural Resources shall assist boards of commissioners of soil and water conservation districts and boards of directors of watershed conservation districts with the organization and function of watershed conservation districts. For the purpose of this chapter, t…

The county treasurer shall collect the taxes due the watershed conservation district at the same time and in the same manner as other taxes of the county are collected. The taxes are subject to the same provisions of law for due and delinquency dates, discounts, penalties, and in…

Tax funds collected must be transferred to and held by the treasurer of the watershed conservation district for the purposes of the district. Expenditures of the funds must be made by the board of directors of the watershed conservation district.

(A) One or more owners of land may petition the board of commissioners of the soil and water conservation district to have their lands added to a watershed conservation district. The petition must include a map of the boundaries of the land desired to be annexed, the number of ac…

The owner of lands which have not and cannot be benefited by their inclusion in the watershed conservation district may petition the commissioners of the soil and water conservation district to have the lands detached. The petition must describe the lands and state the reasons wh…

(A) The boards of directors of two or more watershed conservation districts may petition the board of commissioners of the soil and water conservation district for the watershed conservation districts to be consolidated into a single district but only if the new single watershed …

(A) Any time after five years after the organization of a watershed conservation district twenty-five or more qualified electors residing in the district, or if less than fifty qualified electors are involved a majority of them, may file a petition with the board of commissioners…

Watershed conservation districts may be established as provided in this chapter within one or more soil and water conservation districts to develop and execute plans and programs relating to a phase of the control or prevention of soil erosion or flooding; the conservation, prote…

If a soil and water conservation district in which part of a watershed conservation district is situated is discontinued, all supervisory authority over the affairs of the watershed conservation district which previously was exercised by the board of commissioners of the soil and…

(A) The organization and function of each of the following watershed conservation districts which have implemented works of improvement must be revised to comply with this chapter. Each watershed conservation district retains the authority to levy the millage rate for the distric…

The area embraced in a watershed conservation district must be contiguous, must lie within a well-defined watershed, and must be situated within one or more soil and water conservation districts. The area may not include lands located within the boundary of an incorporated munici…

When twenty-five or more qualified electors residing within a proposed watershed conservation district, or, if less than fifty qualified electors are involved, a majority of the qualified electors, desire to form a watershed conservation district, they shall file a petition with …

If the proposed watershed conservation district is situated in more than one soil and water conservation district, a copy of the petition must be presented to the board of commissioners of each soil and water conservation district in which part of the proposed watershed conservat…

(A) Within thirty days after the petition has been filed with the board of commissioners of the soil and water conservation district, the board shall cause due notice to be given of a public hearing on the desirability and necessity in the interest of the public health, safety, a…

After the board of commissioners of the soil and water conservation district has recorded a determination that there is need in the interest of the public health, safety, and welfare for a watershed conservation district to function in the territory considered at the hearing and …

The county election commission shall tabulate the results of the referendum at the close of the polls and certify the results to the clerks of court of the counties in which part of the district is situated. Upon proper recordation of the referendum results by the clerks of court…

This chapter may be cited as the "Stormwater Management and Sediment Reduction Act".

(A) All disturbed areas which exist on May 27, 1992 as a result of land disturbing activity and which result in off-site damage from sediment and stormwater runoff, must be provided with ground cover or other protective measures, structures, or devices sufficient to control offsi…

The department, in conjunction with local governments and districts and other appropriate state and federal agencies, shall conduct educational programs in stormwater management and sediment control for state and local government officials, persons engaged in land disturbing acti…

(A) The implementing agencies are authorized to receive from federal, state, or other public or private sources financial, technical, or other assistance for use in accomplishing the purposes of this chapter. (B) The implementing agency has authority to adopt a fee system to help…

(A) In addition to the other regulatory requirements in this chapter, designated watersheds shall have the regulatory requirements for land disturbing activities within the watershed clearly specified through a watershed master plan which includes nonpoint source pollution contro…

(A) Any person who violates any provision of this chapter or any ordinance or regulation promulgated, enacted, adopted, or issued pursuant to this chapter by the department or other implementing agency, or who initiates or continues a land disturbing activity for which a stormwat…

(A) When the implementing agency has reasonable cause to believe that any person is violating or is threatening to violate the requirements of this chapter, it may, either before or after the institution of any other action or proceeding authorized by this chapter, institute a ci…

Nothing contained in this chapter and no action or failure to act under this chapter may be construed: (1) to impose any liability on the State, department, districts, local governments, or other agencies, officers, or employees thereof for the recovery of damages caused by such …

The department shall promulgate regulations necessary to implement Chapter 14, Title 48 of the 1976 Code added by this act.

As used in this chapter: (1) "Department" means the South Carolina Department of Environmental Services. (2) "District" means any soil and water conservation district created pursuant to Chapter 9 of this title. (3) "Local government" means any county, municipality, or any combin…

(A) Unless exempted, no person may engage in a land disturbing activity without first submitting a stormwater management and sediment control plan to the appropriate implementing agency and obtaining a permit to proceed. (B) Each person responsible for the land disturbing activit…

The provisions of this chapter do not apply to the following land disturbing activities: (A) Land disturbing activities on agricultural land for production of plants and animals useful to man, including but not limited to: forages and sod crops, grains and feed crops, tobacco, co…

(A) The department shall develop a State Stormwater Management and Sediment Reduction Program. (B) In carrying out this chapter, the department shall: (1) provide technical and other assistance to local governments and others in implementing this chapter; (2) require that appropr…

(A) The department may delegate any or all components of stormwater management and sediment control programs to a local government or conservation district pursuant to regulations promulgated by the department. (B) Requests for delegation of program elements must be submitted wit…

(A) Any local government that has adopted a stormwater management and/or sediment control program before May 27, 1992 may request approval of any or all components of its existing program within its jurisdiction. This request must be submitted within six months of the promulgatio…

One year after May 27, 1992, a federal agency may not undertake any regulated activity unless the agency has submitted a stormwater management and sediment control plan to the department and received its approval. The only variation to this requirement is when program elements ar…