Weak Environmental Safeguards Put Public Health at Risk

The Challenge: South Carolina’s water protection laws, industrial oversight standards, and environmental review processes have come under scrutiny as federal regulations are rolled back and development pressures increase.

What do South Carolinians think? Concern crosses traditional political lines. A farmer wrote: "high quality water is a keystone of our survival." A biologist and cancer survivor described "helicopters and road crews spraying herbicides that are known toxins." Coastal participants want action on "microplastics polluting our beautiful coastline and river systems — these chemical sponges get ingested by the local shrimp and fish we eat." Others identified regulatory gaps: "SC has some of the weakest water-protection laws in the nation" with no "environmental review for chemical-using industries." Forest advocates and wetland defenders share the same core message: "Carolina bays, our lakes, rivers, streams, marshes, and wetlands that help maintain clean water must be prioritized."